Dorjee Lama Sherpa

A landslide in the trekking area around the eight-thousander Manaslu has killed three Nepalese and a Spanish tourist yesterday, the authorities said. Six other members of the trekking group were seriously injured in the accident in Gorkha District. Among the dead is Dorjee Lama Sherpa, a well-known mountaineer in Nepal. The 35-year-old was the President of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA).

Eight times on Everest

Dorjee Lama was born and raised in the village of Bhakanje in Solukhumbu which lies around 30 kilometers as the crow flies southwest of Lhukla, the gateway to the Everest region. Aged 13, he started his career in the tourism business as a porter. Later the Sherpa worked as a trekking guide, then as a mountain guide. Dorjee Lama climbed Mount Everest eight times from the Nepalese south side as well as from the Tibetan north side. In addition he reached the 8188-meter-high summit of Cho Oyu several times. A successful ascent on the eight-thousander Makalu was also noticed in his mountain tour book.

R.I.P.

Dorjee Lama was considered an extremely experienced mountain guide. The Sherpa had a certificate of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) and trained compatriots as mountain guides in Nepal. “I’m extremely passionate about environmental protection of the fragile Himalayan Mountains and resource conservation”, he once wrote about himself. Dorjee Lama Sherpa leaves behind his wife and three children. He will be missed.