Nepalese Sherpa who took part in numerous Himalayan expeditions in the 20th century. An iconic figure of the Sherpa community, he contributed to several major ascents in the Himalayas as a guide and high-altitude porter.
Ang Tsering(1904 — 2002)
Ang Tshering
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Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Nepalese Sherpa active in Himalayan expeditions throughout the 20th century
- Member of the Sherpa community, a people originating from the high valleys of Nepal
- Participant in high-altitude expeditions in the Everest and Himalaya region
- Representative of the essential role played by Sherpas in the history of mountaineering
Works & Achievements
The most defining achievement of Ang Tsering's career: he survived the devastating storm that killed Willy Merkl and eight other expedition members. His courage during the dramatic descent and his eyewitness account of the events make him an indispensable figure in the history of Himalayan mountaineering.
Ang Tsering built unparalleled experience by taking part in numerous Himalayan expeditions over more than three decades of active work. His professional longevity and the reliability recognized by European expedition leaders made him a top-tier Sherpa.
In the second half of his life, Ang Tsering contributed to training new generations of Sherpas, passing on his high-altitude techniques, his knowledge of routes, and the lessons drawn from the tragedies he had survived.
Having become one of the last living witnesses to the great expeditions of the 1920s–1940s, Ang Tsering was sought out by historians, journalists, and documentary filmmakers eager to record his memories of those pioneering expeditions. His accounts constitute an irreplaceable oral source.
Anecdotes
In July 1934, Ang Tsering took part in the German expedition to Nanga Parbat, led by Willy Merkl. A devastating storm struck the team during the descent, killing three European climbers and six Sherpas. Ang Tsering survived this disaster after several days of wandering in extreme conditions, becoming one of the few living witnesses to one of the greatest tragedies in the history of mountaineering.
During the Nanga Parbat storm, Ang Tsering showed exceptional courage by helping to carry Willy Merkl, the expedition leader, who had been weakened by altitude and intense cold. Despite his efforts, Merkl died on the mountain. Ang Tsering's account of these dramatic events is one of the most valuable direct sources on the 1934 disaster.
Ang Tsering lived long enough to witness the radical transformation of Himalayan mountaineering. Born at a time when the first expeditions were barely exploring the approaches to Everest, he died in 2002, by which point hundreds of climbers were reaching the summit every year. He represented the living link between two fundamentally different eras of high-altitude exploration.
Within the Sherpa community, high-altitude porters like Ang Tsering were not simply employees of foreign expeditions: they were highly skilled professionals who chose which expeditions to join and passed their knowledge on to the next generations. Ang Tsering was one of the pioneers of this professionalization of the Sherpa trade, built on personal reputation and accumulated experience.
Primary Sources
Fritz Bechtold's account, written by a survivor of the expedition, relays the testimonies of surviving Sherpas including Ang Tsering, describing the heroic and desperate efforts to descend the mountain through the storm while carrying the injured.
The Himalayan Club recorded the performance, reliability, and progress of Sherpas recruited for major Himalayan expeditions. Ang Tsering's successive engagements were listed there, attesting to his professional reputation.
In his account of the victorious 1953 ascent, Buhl evokes the memory of the 1934 disaster and the testimonies of surviving Sherpas, including Ang Tsering, who embodied the living memory of the mountain.
The Alpine Journal published reports and testimonies from the 1934 disaster, including accounts from surviving Sherpas on how the storm unfolded and the rescue attempts made within the team.
Key Places
The heartland of the Sherpa community, the Khumbu region at the foot of Everest is Ang Tsering's homeland. It was here that the skills of high-altitude guides and intimate knowledge of the Himalayan terrain were passed down from generation to generation.
Darjeeling served as the base of operations for the great Himalayan expeditions of the interwar period. The Himalayan Club recruited and assessed Sherpas there; Ang Tsering stayed regularly between expeditions to negotiate his engagements.
Nicknamed "the killer mountain," Nanga Parbat was the scene of the 1934 tragedy from which Ang Tsering was one of the few Sherpa survivors. This ordeal left a deep mark on his life and cemented his reputation as a courageous survivor.
Everest, which the Sherpas call Sagarmatha ("goddess mother of the world"), was the ultimate goal of Himalayan expeditions and the heart of traditional Sherpa territory. Ang Tsering spent his entire life in the shadow of this legendary summit.
The main town of the Khumbu, situated at 3,440 metres above sea level, Namche Bazaar was the logistical starting point for expeditions toward Everest. It was here that Sherpas gathered, negotiated their engagements, and organized the portering caravans.
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Participation à l'expédition allemande sur le Nanga Parbat
1934
Carrière de Sherpa professionnel sur plusieurs décennies
1920-1950
Transmission du savoir sherpa de haute altitude
1950-1980
Témoignage historique sur l'alpinisme de l'entre-deux-guerres
1970-2000
