Babu Chiri Sherpa
Encyclopedia
Babu Chiri Sherpa was a Sherpa
mountaineer
from Nepal
. He was a legendary guide who reached the summit of Mount Everest
ten times. He held 2 world records on Everest. He spent 21 hours on the summit of Everest without auxiliary oxygen, and he made the fastest ascent of Everest in 16 hours and 56 minutes.
in Nepal
. As a child he spent most of his time helping his parents on their farm. Babu Chiri was uneducated as no schools existed in his or surrounding villages.
As a boy, Chiri was amazed by the mountains that surrounded his village. Many Sherpas support themselves by guiding and portering in the mountains. The legend of Tenzing Norgay
, and Norgay himself, influenced Chiri. He always dreamed of reaching the pinnacles of those great peaks one day.
(6472 m) in four hours in 1985.
Chiri eventually found work portering for Everest expeditions. It was during this time he began showing his true abilities as a high altitude mountaineer. Chiri reached the summit of Everest a record ten times.
In May 1999 he spent a record 21 hours on the summit without supplementary oxygen, even sleeping there.
Babu Chiri spoke four languages: Sherpa, Nepali, English and Hindi. He travelled to Canada, China, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan and the United States. He had six daughters.
and died.
On September 25, 2005, the Royal Nepali Government, as represented by the Crown Prince, inaugurated the Babu Chiri Memorial Museum and erected a statue of Chiri. The museum and statue were both built by the Everest Summiteers Association (ESA) with financial contributions from the government, local businesses, social organizations and individuals. The museum and statue are located in Til Ganga, Kathmandu.
Sherpa people
The Sherpa are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from the Kham region in eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300–400 years.The initial mountainous migration from Tibet was a search for beyul...
mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
from Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. He was a legendary guide who reached the summit of Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
ten times. He held 2 world records on Everest. He spent 21 hours on the summit of Everest without auxiliary oxygen, and he made the fastest ascent of Everest in 16 hours and 56 minutes.
Early life
Babu Chiri Sherpa was born in Taksindu, a small Sherpa village near Salleri, the headquarters of Solukhumbu DistrictSolukhumbu District
Solukhumbu District of 107,686.Mount Everest is located in the northern part of this district, within Sagarmatha National Park.Indigenous ethnic Rai and hill Caste Chhetri are the main groups living in the mid-hills, while Sherpas occupy high mountains....
in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. As a child he spent most of his time helping his parents on their farm. Babu Chiri was uneducated as no schools existed in his or surrounding villages.
As a boy, Chiri was amazed by the mountains that surrounded his village. Many Sherpas support themselves by guiding and portering in the mountains. The legend of Tenzing Norgay
Tenzing Norgay
Padma Bhushan, Supradipta-Manyabara-Nepal-Tara Tenzing Norgay, GM born Namgyal Wangdi and often referred to as Sherpa Tenzing, was a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer...
, and Norgay himself, influenced Chiri. He always dreamed of reaching the pinnacles of those great peaks one day.
Mountaineering
He began his career as a climber at the age of 16 when he procured a job as a trekking porter. On his first portering assignment he scaled the notorious Ambhu Labtsa pass. He summited Mera PeakMera Peak
Mera Peak is a mountain which lies in the Himalayas, in the Sagarmatha region of Nepal. At it is classified as a trekking peak.The first ascent was on May 20, 1953 by Col. Jimmy Roberts and Sen Tenzing. The region was first explored extensively by British expeditions in the early 50s before and...
(6472 m) in four hours in 1985.
Chiri eventually found work portering for Everest expeditions. It was during this time he began showing his true abilities as a high altitude mountaineer. Chiri reached the summit of Everest a record ten times.
In May 1999 he spent a record 21 hours on the summit without supplementary oxygen, even sleeping there.
Babu Chiri spoke four languages: Sherpa, Nepali, English and Hindi. He travelled to Canada, China, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan and the United States. He had six daughters.
Death
In 2001, Chiri signed on for his eleventh Everest expedition. He was planning another bid for the summit. On April 29 while near Camp II (6,500 m) and apparently taking photographs, Chiri miscalculated his steps and fell into a crevasseCrevasse
A crevasse is a deep crack in an ice sheet rhys glacier . Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the sheer stress generated when two semi-rigid pieces above a plastic substrate have different rates of movement...
and died.
Legacy
Chiri was an environmentalist and a humanitarian. He worked to have a school built in his home village; the school was completed before his death.On September 25, 2005, the Royal Nepali Government, as represented by the Crown Prince, inaugurated the Babu Chiri Memorial Museum and erected a statue of Chiri. The museum and statue were both built by the Everest Summiteers Association (ESA) with financial contributions from the government, local businesses, social organizations and individuals. The museum and statue are located in Til Ganga, Kathmandu.