Sungdare Sherpa () (1956 Thame village, Solukhumbu – 1989 Pangboche) was a Nepalese Sherpa guide for climbers of Mount Everest, who summited Mount Everest five times. He was the first person to summit Mount Everest three times.
Climbing career Sungdare was with Hannelore Schmatz when she died on a 1979 expedition. He remained with her after she died, and as a result, lost most of his fingers and toes to frostbite.
Despite losing his digits, Sungdare summited Mount Everest four more times after the 1979 expedition.
Death Sungdare drowned in a river below his village, Pangboche, Nepal in 1989.
Elizabeth Hawley stated that he struggled with alcoholism and that his death was a suicide. He was survived by his widow, Bhingfuti.
As quoted in an article in Backpacker magazine talking about Mount Everest:
Ascents of Everest 1979 1981 October summitingEverest 80s to 85 1982 October summiting 1985 1988
See also List of Mount Everest summiteers by frequency List of Mount Everest guides List of 20th-century summiteers of Mount Everest
References
Further reading The Backpacker - May 1986 (Google Books link)