A short biography of Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa
Born In 1961 Namche Bazaar, Everest Region, Nepal
School 7 years at Hillary School at Khumjung, 3 years at Salleri School
near Phaplu. S.L.C. passed in 1980 with the highest first division score.
1980 Lost hearing in Oct. after suffering meningitis and thus all further study came to a halt.
1980 Went to New Delhi for medical investigation at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
1982 Visited England for medical investigation at the St. Georges Hospital in London, later I was transferred to The British Center for Deafened people in Eastbourne for rehabilitation.
1983 -1985 Ran a rented lodge called International Foot Rest Lodge in Namche for two years. Also started Sherpa mail service for the people to ease the mail delivery from Kathmandu to remote khumbu. Founded the Namche Youth Club and organized the first and several environmental clean up programs in Namche and continued working as a Secretary for several years. That same year I became a photographer with a small Rollei camera (presented by Jon Fleming), started researching for Sherpa Culture conservation and Sherpa people's contributions in the field of Himalayan climbing records, trained for black and white photography work with friend Basanta Shrestha.
1984 Organized the First Sherpa Youth Yeti Exp. crossing through Renjo la, Chugyuma la (Chola Pass) and Khongma la with two other friends from Namche Youth Club, Sonam Chottar Sherpa and Lama Serki Sherpa.
1985 Visited Switzerland for three months for medical purposes.
1986 Lived in Switzerland for 7 months with a Swiss family Ruedi and Vreni and Prof. Dr. Georges and Serena Hartmann. Coachler was implanted at University hospital in Zurich, at the same time learned rock climbing in France and skiing in Switzerland. Received several slideshow presentation training. Visited Italy, Holland and then to England again. Five months study at the Central Bibleothek in Zurich.
1986 Went as a member of International Ama Dablam West Face Exp. who later made the first ever ascent of the unclimbed west face route and climbed Lobuche peak in 8 hours from Lobuche.
1988 Second Personnel Yeti Research Exp. near Nangpa la, with the assistant of Lhakpa Sherpa (Debre).

Between 1981 and 1988 I helped organize expedition to father Sonam Girmi, Like American medical research Everest 1981, German American Everest 1983, Indian Army Everest Expedition 1985, Australian bicentennial Everest 1988 and so on.
1988 Went to Pharchamo peak near Trashilabtsa and avalanched almost 200 vertical meter with two Swiss and a sherpa friends, survived on our own without the help of rescue.
1989 Went on Kusumkhang Expedition. with the Swiss expedition.
1990 Joined the International Disabled Denali expedition. in Alaska and climbed high above the Denali pass. Visited Washington and California. Went to climb Mt. Rainer.
1990 In August I began to build the Hotel Sherwi Khangba and Museum. Now the Sherwi Khangba center consists of a Traditional Sherpa House Museum, Sherpa Culture Photo Gallery, showing the sherpa way of life and festivals throughout the year. The Mt. Everest Documentation Center, documenting the Sherpa climbing history and related informations. The research work still continues!
1994 Visited Sweden and Norway for slideshow presentation and lecture in an effort to raise fund for my museum.
1995

Visited Switzerland, Germany, Holland and Belgium with my wife Ang Kanchi Sherpa and older son Sonam Phinzo Sherpa.

Slideshow lecture for fund raising for the museum.

1998 Went to Switzerland again for three months for photo work.
1999-2000

Worked for "The Mountain Calling" Austrian expo. 2000 in Salzburg city on Sherpa contribution in Himalayan climbing and is open since July 2000 for 18 months.

2000 Founded the Namche Youth Group and worked as it's Secretary. Felicitated by the Namche Village Development Committee for my contribution towards Sherpa Culture conservation.
2001 Visited Switzerland, Norway and Austria. In Austria I visited The Mountain Calling expo. on the official invitation from the Salzburg Board of Tourism, for two months. Participated and won the Grant from Banff center for mountain art and culture, Canada.
2002

Visited Switzerland for one month. Built a Public Library in Sherwi Khangba complex Namche Bazar
2003

Visited Norway and Sweden for two months slideshow lecture for fund raising for the museum. Became fellow member of Royal Geographical Society of London.

2004 I visited USA with my wife Ang Kanchi for three months.
2005 Visited Norway with wife Ang Kanchi for two months. For seasonal work and Hotel Museum promotion.
2006 Visited Norway with wife Ang Kanchi for two months. For seasonal work and Hotel Museum promotion. Wrote a book about Sherpa culture "Sherwi Lungso" A folkloric collections of sherpa culture as a part of sherpa culture conservation effort.
2007 Visited Norway with wife Ang Kanchi for two months for seasonal work and Hotel Museum promotion.


Now lives with wife Ang Kanchi, two son Sonam Phinjo Sherpa and Tseten Dorjee Sherpa and an adopted daughter Lhakpa Doma Sherpa in Namche Bazaar, Solukhumbu running the Museum, Photo gallery and the hotel. Visiting Norway almost every summer for seasonal work living with our Norwegian family Knut and Jorunn Lie and Nils Hovi.

The research work for the conservation of natural and cultural heritages of the sherpa people in the Khumbu region is still going on. However, my research work is not associated with any organizations or University and is solely for my personal conservation effort for the future generation of Khumbu Valley and the Sherpa people.


TESTIMONIALS

In the whole it is a fine and unique achievement.
- Pro. Dr. Georges Hartmann. (For Sherwi Khangba Center), Switzerland.

"Yours was a cultural Initiative. You had a nice idea."
-Pro. Sandro Lovari (For Sherwi Khangba Center) Italy. Nov. 2003

"You believe me, we all know that you are a nice man and I really think that your deafness is a blessing in disguises. You have developed yourself in such a way that the world respects you and of course we do too."
- Dr. Binab Karmacharya (For Sherwi Khangba Center) Nepal. Nov. 2004

In our opinion you are an extraordinary person. We have received lots of inspirations.
- Madhav Khakurel (Sr. Engineer - Mid Marsyangdi H. E. Project Director) Dec. 2007

You are a multi-talented personality.
- Devendra Raj Sharma (Advocate, Supreme Courrt of Nepal) March 2008

Any work you do is always praiseworthy, I agree.
- Tenzing Tashi Sherpa, Khumjung. (For Sherwi Lungso Book) April 2006

Anyway keep up the good work !
Your sewa sarthak bhayecha !!
- Kunga Doma Sherpa (For Sherwi Lungso Book)
KTM and USA Oct. 2007

First Sherpa to be praised by everybody for your amazing endeavours.
- Lhakpa Thundup Sherpa, Khumjung (For Sherwi Lungso Book) Oct. 2007
 
Hotel Sherwi Khangba and Restaurant

Hotel Sherwi Khangba is located a few minutes walk above Namche Bazar. The famous Mt. Everest view point is only 5 minutes walk from the hotel. It has wide and clean twin bedrooms with spectacular mountain views right through the windows. Fitted with state-of-the-art Solahart heating system the hotel provides 24 hours hot shower. Ours is the only restaurant in town to serve buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner with warm Sherpa hospitality. We are the first hotel to have our own organic green house in Namche Bazar.

Our other facilities include laundry, internet, postal service. Our inhouse guests are free to visit museum and the culture photo gallery. We regularly host slideshows of the mountains and people of Khumbu and mountaineering video shows. Camping ground and kitchen house with fresh running water supply is also available on rent.

PROF. MONTY'S CLUB NAMCHE - a Pub serving local drinks, wine and beer everyday with soft background music. A pool table is setup for guest's entertainment.

Please come and stay with us and feel the difference.

Click here to view photos of Hotel Sherwi Khangba

Read biography of Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa who the owner and creator of Sherwi Khangba Center