Ang Rita “The Snow Leopard”
Many of us now refer to ourselves as trekkers, adventurers, thrill seekers, mountaineers, and a variety of other terms, but I don't believe any of us have ever tried to find someone inspiring, someone whose life can serve as an example to those who consider themselves to be adventurers or mountaineers.
While browsing the internet one day, I came upon Mr. Ang Rita aka Snow Leopard. I read the post and was enthralled by this man's life storey and his journey from working as a porter to climbing Mount Everest.
While browsing the internet one day, I came upon Mr. Ang Rita aka Snow Leopard. I read the post and was enthralled by this man's life storey and his journey from working as a porter to climbing Mount Everest.
Life Journey
Ang Rita was born to agricultural parents in the mountain village of Yillajung, Nepal, in 1948. Because there were none accessible, Ang Rita did not attend school. As a result, he maintained yaks on mountain pastures and transported commodities into Tibet, all the while staring at the surrounding peaks, which were snowcapped and unimaginably high.Ang Rita quit farming at the age of 15 to work as a porter to help support his family because he had no other means of income. His first job was as a low-altitude porter for mountaineers climbing Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh highest peak. However, not long after he began, a young Ang Rita was pressed into service as a high-altitude porter for one trip, up to Dhaulagiri's Camp III, which is located at an elevation of 5,500 metres.
Ang Rita discovered he had a natural ability for high-altitude climbing.
He wasn't the only one who felt this way.
His sure-footed ascent and fearlessness earned him the nickname "snow leopard" among the mountaineers with whom he worked on that climb.
After 15 years as a porter, Ang Rita took on the role of guide and began assisting climbers on Everest.
Ang Rita went to the summit of Everest without supplementary oxygen on May 7, 1983, while working for a German-American climbing team.
It was his first time on the roof of the globe, and he dragged himself up at 29,000 feet, breathing only the thin air provided by nature, an incredible feat.
Later, American climber David Breashears reported sharing bottled oxygen with another climber.Ang Rita's record for the most Everest summits without using bottled oxygen is expected to stand for a long time. Sherpas who operate on the summit and thus undertake the most ascents must now utilise oxygen to ensure the safety of their paying customers. It's tough to picture a non-Sherpa doing the same accomplishment as the snow leopard.
Ang holds the world record for climbing Everest 10 times without supplementary oxygen; Ang Rita also owns the record for being the only person to summit Everest without oxygen in the winter.
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