Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa

Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa (May 5, 1971 – September 25, 1996) was a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineering guide, climber and porter, best known for his work as the climbing Sirdar for Scott Fischer's Mountain Madness expedition to Everest in Spring 1996, when a freak storm led to the deaths of eight climbers from several expeditions, considered one of the worst disasters in the history of Everest mountaineering. Notwithstanding controversy over his actions during that expedition, Lopsang was well-regarded in the mountaineering community, having summited Everest four times. Lopsang was killed in an avalanche in September 1996, while again on an expedition to climb Everest for what would have been a fifth ascent.

Mountaineering achievements

Beyond his work in the course of the ill-fated Spring 1996 Everest expedition, Lopsang was a respected porter and guide with extensive Himalayan mountaineering experience, including:

Summit, Mount Everest with Nepali Women's expedition, Spring 1993 Summit, Cho Oyu with Japanese expedition, Fall 1993 Camp 4, Mount Everest, Japanese expedition, Winter 1993 Summit, Mount Everest, Sagarmatha Environmental expedition, Spring 1994 Summit, Mount Everest, New Zealand expedition, Spring 1995, led by Rob Hall Summit, Broad Peak, Scott Fischer party, Summer 1995 Summit, Mount Everest, Scott Fischer party, Spring 1996 (3 hours on the summit)

Lopsang reached the summit of Everest four times in four years, all without supplementary oxygen. Krakauer points out in his book, however, that Lopsang has stated on record: "this year on summit day I am tired and sick because [the day before] I am carrying 80 pounds, maybe 75 pounds, from Camp III to Camp IV, I am carrying the team telephone. I am also very tired because [on summit day] I take up Sandy together on rope above Camp IV. I am too tired, I vomit".

Late in the day of 10 May, as bad weather closed in, Scott Fischer reached Lopsang, who was waiting for him near the summit. Fischer and Lopsang started their descent in bad weather, as Rob Hall and Doug Hansen ascended toward the summit. Lopsang sent Fischer down the mountain and waited for Hall and Hansen to complete the summit. Lopsang reported that after ensuring that Hall and Hansen had safely summited and started their descent, he quickly descended to reach Fischer, apparently then in some difficulty. Lopsang then "physically dragged" an ill Fischer from the South Summit "until he could go no further", and waited together with him and Makalu Gau (a climber from another expedition also caught in the storm) for several hours, until Fischer finally urged Lopsang to leave and descend alone. never recovered, and eventually died on 6 June.

September 1996 expedition

In the fall of 1996, Lopsang returned to Everest as a guide, working for a Japanese expedition. On 25 September 1996, a large avalanche erupted during the ascent on the southeast ridge route in the area between Camp III at the top of the Lhotse face, and Camp IV at the South Col, the starting point for the final summit push. The avalanche killed Lopsang, sherpa guide Dawa and a French climber, Yves Bouchon.

Personal life

Lopsang came from Beding, Nepal. He was married, with a child aged five months old, at the time of his death.