Ang Rita Sherpa, the first man to climb Mount Everest 10 times, passed away on Monday following prolonged illness. He was 72 and leaves behind a daughter and two sons.
All the ascents to the 8,850-m. (29,035-foot) summit of the world’s tallest mountain between 1983 and 1996 by Ang Rita, also known as the “snow leopard” for his climbing skills, were made without bottled oxygen.
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Sherpa, who had suffered brain and liver ailments for a long time, died at his home in the Nepali capital, his grandson, Phurba Tshering, said.
Ang Rita was also known as the “snow leopard” for his climbing skills.
“He was a climbing star and his death is a major loss for the country and for the climbing fraternity,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, a former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
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The body will be placed at a Sherpa Gomba, or holy site, in Kathmandu, and cremated on Wednesday according to sherpa tradition, he said.
Many other climbers have since surpassed Ang Rita’s feat, with one member of the community setting a record of 24 ascents.