The famed Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) in Darjeeling on Tuesday flagged off the “Mission Kanchenjunga to Everest” expedition as a tribute to Everester Kushang Sherpa and the Sherpa community.

Kushang Sherpa, an HMI instructor who had climbed Mount Everest five times from three sides — southeast ridge, northeast ridge and east face —, died on December 7, 2024.

The expedition is being led by HMI principal Col. Rajneesh Joshi. Two HMI instructors, Thupstan Tsewang and Pasang Tenzing Sherpa, are also in the expedition team.

Pasang is Kushang’s son.

“The three-member team symbolises the three routes through which Kushang climbed Mt Everest,’ said Joshi.

Mission Kanchenjunga to Everest entails touching the base of Kanchenjunga — the third highest peak in the world standing 28,169 feet and then climbing the highest peak Everest, situated at an altitude of 29,028 feet.

“We planned this mission as Kushang had first climbed the mountains at the Kanchenjunga base when he joined the HMI in 1987 before scaling Everest,” said Joshi. “The mission is also a heartfelt salute to the unwavering support of the Sherpa community to mountaineering.”

Kusang was an instructor at the institution until his retirement in 2016.

The training camp of the HMI is at Chaurikhang at the base of Kanchenjunga in west Sikkim. Chaurikhang is situated at an altitude of around 14,600 feet.

“As part of the mission, we climbed Mt Rhenock (16,500 feet, which is at the base of Kanchenjunga) on March 14,” said Joshi.

On Tuesday, Pinki Sherpa, wife of Kushang, handed over the ceremonial ice axe to Col. Joshi to formally flag off the expedition.

“We plan to reach the Everest base camp around April 16,” the HMI principal said.

The team will acclimatise in the area for about a fortnight and probably climb smaller
peaks around the base during that period.

“The HMI team will divide itself into two groups and we will look for favourable weather conditions to reach the top,” said Joshi who has so far climbed 35 peaks.

Everesters Jamling Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Dorji Latoo were present at the programme in Darjeeling.

“The expedition holds a special place in my heart as it is a tribute to my late father,” said Pasang, who has been an instructor at the HMI since 2010.