Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa

Biography

Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa was born in Pangom, Nepal, and learned to read, write, count, and speak Nepali at school. After the premature death of his father, he fled on foot at 16 and eventually found success as a trekking agency owner, organizing expeditions for professional mountaineers and becoming one of the most important in Nepal. Despite tragedies, including the loss of loved ones and his first wife, Pasang Lhamu, Sherpa persevered and went on to build a foundation supporting widows and porters, and even worked on projects to electrify his native village.