The Sherpa Brothers' Crown: Chhang Dawa's Final Summit on Shishapangma

In the shadow of the great granite pyramid of Makalu in eastern Nepal lies the village of Narbugang. Here, the Sherpa people have lived for generations as subsistence farmers, yak herders, and legendary high-altitude workers. For decades, Western climbers arrived in the Himalaya, employed Sherpas to carry heavy loads and fix lines, and claimed international glory while local climbers remained unnamed in the history books.

Brothers Mingma and Chhang Dawa Sherpa resolved to change that narrative forever. Born into a distinguished climbing family, Chhang Dawa was shouldering packs on trekking routes as a teenager. By nineteen, he had summited Cho Oyu. Over the following decade, Dawa embarked on a relentless pursuit of the ultimate mountaineering prize: climbing all fourteen of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks. In 2011, his older brother Mingma became the first South Asian to conquer all fourteen peaks. Dawa was determined to join him.

The Final Frontier in Tibet

By the spring of 2013, thirty-year-old Chhang Dawa had conquered thirteen eight-thousanders, including K2, Annapurna, Kangchenjunga, and Nanga Parbat. Only one giant remained: Shishapangma (8,027m), the solitary eight-thousander situated entirely within the borders of Tibet.

Arriving at Shishapangma Base Camp in April, Dawa encountered harsh conditions. The Tibetan plateau was swept by early spring gales, and the glacier was riddled with deep, snow-bridged crevasses. Moving in alpine style, Dawa and his companions methodically established Camp I and Camp II on the northern slopes. His vast experience from dozens of high-altitude campaigns allowed him to read the shifting snowpacks and navigate around hazardous wind slabs with total confidence.

The Knife-Edge Ridge to History

On April 29, the team pushed up to Camp III on the high shoulder at 7,400 meters. The night was bitterly cold, but the wind subsided. In the pre-dawn darkness of April 30, 2013, Chhang Dawa launched his final push toward the summit.

The upper section of Shishapangma is notorious for its dangerous, knife-edge summit crest between the Central Peak and the slightly higher Main Peak. Many expeditions have stopped at the lower sub-summit, mistaking it for the true crest. But Dawa knew the mountain well. Navigating the exposed, corniced ridge with knife-sharp drops into the southern abyss, he carefully placed every step until there was no higher ground left to climb.

The Brother Dynasty

At 1:30 PM on April 30, 2013, Chhang Dawa Sherpa stood on the 8,027-meter summit of Shishapangma. At thirty years and nine months of age, he was the youngest climber in human history to complete all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks. More importantly, Chhang Dawa and Mingma Sherpa had become the first brothers in history to hold the crown of the fourteen eight-thousanders.

Returning to Kathmandu, Dawa was celebrated across Nepal as a national icon. Through their company Seven Summit Treks, the brothers went on to revolutionize the Himalayan climbing industry, empowering a new generation of Sherpa expedition leaders and guiding international teams to historic winter summits on K2. Chhang Dawa’s triumph on Shishapangma stood as a glorious testament to indigenous leadership, brotherly solidarity, and the enduring greatness of the Sherpa people.