In 1933, Kanchha Sherpa was born in Namche, a small village in the Everest region of Nepal. Hidden and closed off from the rest of the world, he and his Sherpa family struggled to find food to eat, went barefoot in winter, and had no idea that there was another world beyond the Himalayas. They also had no idea that the rest of the world knew about their sacred mountain, Chomolungma, and wanted to climb it. It was, after all Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.
A compelling story, “Tough and Cheerful” is about a mountain, its country and the man who was a part of this staggering transformation. As the last living survivor from the 1953 first successful ascent of Everest, Kanchha’s history is one never to be forgotten. Humble, thoughtful, brave and funny, this “tough and cheerful” man has a lot to teach us all.
An enlightening read for anyone who has ever been to Nepal or always wanted to go.
Pattie Moon, Author
Book available sale at Namche and Kathmandu.
All proceeds from this book will be donated to Kanchha Sherpa Foundation.