Sherpa: A sad loss

Gangtok, July 24: Two-time Everester Nadre Sherpa committed suicide at his home at India Press Colony in Baluakhani here today.

The 47-year-old climber is survived by his wife and son.

Sherpa hanged himself from the window of his bathroom while alone at the central government quarters this morning. His wife had just gone out with her sister ?around 8.30 am ? while his 12-year-old son was away at school.

Close family members said Sherpa had been keeping to himself for the past several weeks and was suffering from bouts of depression. He had reportedly hinted that he would kill himself and asked relatives to take proper care of his son.

Sources also told The Telegraph that Sherpa was troubled by domestic problems.

Sherpa, who hailed from Alubari in Darjeeling, had had a glittering career as a mountaineer. Working as an instructor at Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute at Baluakhani for many years, he scaled Mt Everest twice, in 1996 and 2003. On the second occasion, he achieved the feat from the difficult Northern ridge. He also scaled other smaller peaks, including Nyegi Kang Sang in 1995 and Mt Gya in 1997.

Last year, Sherpa won the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure award, to go with the other national award he received in 2004 for his outstanding achievement in the field of land adventure activities.

Sherpa?s death has come as a shock to his colleagues at the mountaineering institute. ?He will be remembered as a sincere and mild-natured man,? one of them said.