If you’ve ever been to Lukla, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with Ang Tendi Sherpa. He’s the kind of man everyone in town seems to know. Born in Solukhumbu, right in the shadow of the big mountains, he grew up watching climbers and trekkers pass through, and before long, he was one of the people leading them up there.
He’s been guiding for close to two decades now. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s been up Mera Peak, Island Peak, and Lobuche Peak. Ask him about them and he won’t brag — he’ll just smile and maybe tell you about the weather that day, or a client who saw snow for the first time.
What makes him good isn’t just that he knows the trails and the ropes — it’s that he’s calm when things get tricky, and he’s always thinking about how to make the journey better for the people he’s with. I’ve seen him carry a sick trekker’s backpack for two days without a word of complaint, just so they could finish the trip.
He joined Shikhar Adventure in 2020, and since then, he’s become one of the guides people ask for by name. He’s honest, he works hard, and he’ll treat you like you’ve been friends for years. Out here in the mountains, that matters as much as knowing the route.