Who are the Sherpas?
For humankind, the Everest is one of the most remarkable treasures, the nature offered to us. For the Sherpas, the Everest (named Sagarmatha in Nepali) is a treasure given by the gods. For me, the Sherpas are the treasure of the Everest and, more globally, of the Himalayan chain. Without them, there is no climbing possible. Most of the times, no rescue possible. Besides their humility, their warm sense of welcoming their guests (to them, you are not a client, you are a guest), their perfect knowledge of the mountain, their greatest quality is their loyalty. But who is this community? Where do they come from? Where do they live? The Sherpa community arrived in Nepal from Tibet over 500 years ago, escaping from the local fights including between Tibet and Mongolia and set themselves up in the Himalayan mountains, at a high altitude or in the valleys. Although you may find them in cities like Kathmandu, they mostly live in villages where they grow vegetables, raise yaks, work i...