Ang Rita Sherpa is the name of a great climber who was born to climb mountains. His extra-ordinary climbing skills earned him a title of Snow Leopard yet an ordinary Sherpa with a good sense of humor. He is now retired and his sons are following his footsteps. Read his story in his own words translated into English by one of his friends.

I entered into mountaineering profession at the of 15 as a porter. My early childhood was spent driving yaks, carrying daily commodities and trading them in Tibet.

I was first time hired as a low altitude porter for Dhaulagiri Expedition. But I had to take the job of a high altitude porter carrying loads up to Camp III without shoes and proper mountaineering gears. The climbing team recognized my talents and praised me. They complained with Sirdar for the lack of my mountaineering equipment at camp III and later supplied boots and warm clothes which actually did not fit me. My success to reach Camp III on Dhaulagiri gave enough confidence that I decided to take this profession for the rest of my life.

For some time, I did not get much opportunity to work as a high altitude porter and all the trips were limited to smaller trekking peaks. There were a few chances to go in major expeditions, but the sirdar would not allow me to go above camp II. Despite my confidence and strength, the circumstances always let me down. Ultimately, I got an opportunity of a high altitude Sherpa for a Swiss Expedition in Dhaulagiri once again. This is when I reached the summit of Dhaulagiri. For two times splitting the teams into two groups, I took them to the summit turn by turn. It was my major accomplishment which gave me the rays of hope for the future.

As the time went, I worked as a low altitude porters with several expeditions in Everest. I can't forget how I went up to camp IV with a British Army Expedition team in Everest which I consider myself a milestone of my life. My dream to step on the highest point on earth came true on May 7, 1983 while assisting a German-American expedition. I climbed to the summit of Everest without using bottled oxygen.

My first autumn conquest of Everest was in 1984 with a Slovakian team when Mr. Josef Demzan died while descending from the summit. On several occasions in my life I felt very sad when there were moments of fatal accidents which claimed the lives of fellow mountaineers. But I have always consoled myself that it is the only way. Based on this belief, the mountain accidents did not deter me from continuing my exploits on the mountains. As a result, six months later on April 29, 1985, I helped Mr. Arne Naess, the leader of the first Norwegian Expedition team to step on the summit in a stormy climbing conditions.

I started accompanying international celebrities to the mountains as I graduated to a guide from a porter. I successfully climbed Cho Oyu, Kangchenjunga, Makalu II in 1986 and 1987. I returned to Everest and recorded my only winter ascent of the mountain in 1987/88 while assisting a South Korean Expedition team. I recollect that I with a Korean climber lost the way in Everest due to bad weather and spent a whole night below the summit doing aerobics to keep our body active which is the only way to survive there. Ten months later I again climbed Everest with a Catalan team on October 10, 1988. My sixth summit was in 1990 helping the first All-Nepali Army Expedition team. I accompanied the first successful Chilean Expedition team to the summit in the spring of 1992 and a Spanish team in 1993. My only ascent of the mountain from the north in Tibet was in 1995 spring helping a Russian-Ingosethian Expedition. My latest (10 times summit without bottled oxygen) and hopefully not the last, ascent of Everest was in 1996 helping the first Swedish Expedition led by Goran Kropp.

My two sons Karsang and Chhewang Sherpa have been following my foot steps in the mountain. I have personally trained them. They have successfully climbed Everest, Cho Oyu, Shishapangma. I am proud of them!