Sungdare Sherpa


Sungdare Sherpa was a Nepalese Sherpa guide for climbers of Mount Everest, who summited Everest on five different climbs.

Summit with Hannelore Schmatz

Sungdare was with Hannelore Schmatz when she died on a 1979 expedition. He remained with her after she died, and as a result, lost most of his fingers and toes to frostbite.
Despite losing his digits, Sungdare summitted Mount Everest four more times after the 1979 expedition.

Death

Sungdare drowned in a river below his village, Pangboche, in 1989.
Elizabeth Hawley stated that he was suffering from alcoholism, and that his death was a suicide. He was survived by his widow, Bhingfuti.
As quoted in an article in Backpacker magazine talking about Mount Everest:

Everest summitings

  1. 1979
  2. 1981 October summiting
  3. 1982 October summiting
  4. 1985
  5. 1988