In 1951 Dane Klaus Becker-Larsen and two Sherpas attempted the North Col, but turned back because of rockfall. He had minimal equipment and no mountaineering experience. He may have been the first Westener to reach Nangpa La.[2]
The 1952 British Cho Oyu expedition led by Eric Shipton established a base at Lunak below the Nangpa La Pass. Shipton wanted to avoid any clashes with Chinese troops, but eventually agreed to a camp just short of the Nangpa La, and to send a party to attempt the first crossing of the Nup La pass which could be quickly withdrawn if Chinese troops were sighted. But Ed Hillary, George Lowe and three Sherpas crossed the Nup La col and then went "deep into Chinese territory" like "a couple of naughty schoolboys".[3]
In 2006, Chinese border guards of the People's Armed Police (PAP) opened fire on 75 unarmed Tibetan refugees as they traversed waist-deep snow in the Nangpa La shooting incident, killing 17-year-old Buddhist nun Kelsang Namtso and leading to the disappearance of a further 17 refugees. Despite an attempted Chinese coverup, several foreign climbers at base camps on Cho Oyu managed to video and photograph the situation as it unfolded and the events drew widespread international condemnation when shown to the outside world.[4][5][6]
^"Time line". EverestHistory.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
^*Lowe, George (2013). The Conquest of Everest: Original Photographs from the Legendary First Ascent. London: Thames & Hudson. pp. 65, 212. ISBN978-0500544235.
