Sherpa first climbed Mount Everest in 1983. In just over 13 years, he reached the summit of Everest nine more times without the use of bottled oxygen. Eight of his ten summits were via the Southeast ridge route. His last summit was 12 days after the 1996 Everest disaster. He was distraught by the loss of his friends in the disaster. He fell ill that year. According to his family, King Birendra had sent Crown Prince Dipendra to relay his request that Sherpa retire from mountaineering, in view of his deteriorating health. He stopped mountaineering following the visit by the Crown Prince.