Ever since Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay set foot on the top of the Everest, the mountain has become the cynosure of every questing eye. Whether it be a skilled alpinist, an amateur climber or a wannabe mountaineer, no one is immune to the immense magnetic pull of this magnanimous mountain. The Nepalese worship the Everest as the supreme goddess, the mother of all mountains, and the Everest, or Chomulungma as it is called in Nepal, has responded in kind. Thanks to the commercialization and expanding global market, it has become a means of livelihood for the natives. While climbing Everest might be a vanity plate thing for the Westerners, for the Sherpas of Nepal, it is the way of life. Â
Who are the Sherpas?
For every western climber who has stood on top of the Everest, there is a Sherpa without whom the entire expedition would have been a failure. Yet, when we look at the photographs of these climbers in their favorite victory pose, we rarely see a Sherpa in the frame. Sherpa is an ethnic group that dwells in the higher reaches of Nepal. These people are incredible athletes adapted to surviving in one of the most difficult terrains of the world. They can haul more than four times their weight up the frozen slopes like it’s nothing. They set up the ropes, fix the ladders, pitch tents, and even make food for the climbers who are trying to claim the glory of having conquered Everest. Imagine Michael Jordan serving you breakfast or Lebron James tucking you in for sleep. That’s what it’s like for the climbers.
Why they do what they do?
Not many people realize this, but Sherpas aren’t as fond of climbing as their western clients. They do it because there is a river of money running by their villages and the only way for them to cash it is to jump in and follow it all the way to the top of the Everest. Nepal isn’t a booming economy to begin with, and given the fact that the Sherpas belong to one of the most remote parts of the country doesn’t help their condition either. Most of them dream about earning enough money from their expeditions so that they can send their children to school and start a tea shop or a tourist lodge. Mountaineering is a dangerous profession, especially if you’re a guide. Statistically, a Sherpa is more likely to die on an Everest expedition than an American soldier during the Iraq war. Almost every home in the Thame village has lost one of their family members on the Everest.
However, it isn’t dark skies without a silver lining. The tide has begun to turn and their services and sacrifices are finally being recognized. Many NGOs have taken interest towards the unsung heroes of Everest and are establishing schools and providing alternative income opportunities so that these brave men can provide for their families without having to risk their lives. Mountaineering is something that comes natural to these people and will always be their go-to career choice but it is good to know that it wouldn’t be a compulsion for them in the near future.