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 in the fields...but when the climbing season starts, most of the men, sometimes even teenagers, leave their families to help the climbers to fulfill their dream of reaching the top of the world. 

They are budhists and follow the tibetan budhist religion with prayers, monks called lamas blessing them and prayers flags, these colored flags you see in the Everest to beg Sagarmatha, the Goddess of the Sky  to let them reach the summit and come back alive. They also pray for those who remained in the mountains. 

Their food is mostly rice, vegetables, spices, cheese and sometimes some meat. I already tasted some Nepali food but I can't wait to discover more of the local food! 

Their loyalty goes not only to the tourists. Loyalty in the family is very important, especially towards the father, the head of the family. 

Every family has its own story to tell, that what makes me want to meet them, besides my admiration for their dedication without complaining. Their culture, their way of living, their resilience are admirable and they deserve the outmost respect from whoever decides to go to the Everest or any other summit (Annapurna, Makalu, K2,....). This is also why I'm doing this project: show my respect and get to know this remarkable community who has so much to offer, to teach.

During the climbing season, the Sherpas have several functions depending on their experiences: the material carrier, the guide, the cook, the rescuer and probably the most important function, the Ice Doctor.

What is an Ice Doctor? It's the Sherpa (they are a group, actually) who installs the ropes and the scales so the climbers can reach the summit safely. At the end of the season, they remove everything, setting the mountain free again until the next season. 

While the men work during the climbing season, their wives hold the houses, do the men's job in the fields, in the transport of merchandises, raise the children; they become the head of the houses and in a way, we can see it as a team effort so the family can survive and keep going through the years.

Here are some of the most famous Sherpas:

Tenzing Norgay: he was the first to reach successfully the summit of the Everest alongside with Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. 

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, picture courtesy of National Geographic

Pemba Dorjie : he was the fastest Sherpa to climb to the top of the Everest from the base camp in only 8 hours and 10 minutes.

Kami Rita Sherpa : he has the most important number of successful ascensions with 30 ascensions successfully completed.

Mingma Gyabu Sherpa: he was the first mountaineer to ascend K2 in winter, one of the most dangerous ascensions ever, knowing that the nickname of K2 (located in the Pakistani side of the Himalaya) is "the killing mountain" and that it's considered as more dangerous thant the Everest.

So now, when you here the name Sherpa, don't think of this quiet man who carry your climbing material. Think of this man who helps you fulfill your dream, genlty guides you, takes care of you so you come back safe and sound and leaves his family behind to work harder than you could possibly think.