Have you ever imagined someone carrying your bags in their hands while you are traveling, or carrying your backpack on a hike? If the answer is no, you will be surprised to know that this practice is very common among mountaineers who go to climb the Everest.
Here we tell you all about the Sherpas, a Nepalese people who have dedicated many decades to guiding mountaineers to the top of the world while carrying their luggage on their backs.
WHO ARE THE SHEPARS
The Sherpas are a Nepalese ethnic group that lives in the foothills of the mountains of Nepal. They are known worldwide because, ever since commercial expeditions to Everest began, they have been responsible for accompanying and helping foreign mountaineers carry their luggage and guiding them along the path that leads to the highest peak on the planet: the summit of Everest.
The Sherpas settled in Nepal half a century ago, and originally lived in Tibet. After so many generations born and raised on the slopes of Everest, they know the terrain and their bodies have adapted to the climatic conditions of the environment.
The natural and almost selfless fact that this group accompanied explorers and mountaineers to Everest in the first half of the 20th century has become over the years a tourist and economic means of considerable characteristics. Today there are companies dedicated entirely to selling the experience of reaching the summit of Everest with the greatest facilities. Interested hikers pay between 25 and 30 thousand euros to finance this experience, which consists of hiring a Sherpa to open the way for them, place the climbing ropes for them and transport their material; tents, backpacks, oxygen tanks, food... The Sherpas have an average salary of about 3,600 of the total that hikers pay.
The salaries of these professionals are far higher than the average salary of the country's inhabitants, but they also entail a high level of exposure to the uncertainty and risks of the mountains. There are Sherpas who have climbed Everest more than twenty times.
The passage of time settled in this territory has played in favor of the Sherpas, which has allowed them to learn to use the oxygen they receive more efficiently than people who do not live in this type of terrain, so it does not cost them as much effort to climb mountain peaks or to very high places where the amount of oxygen in the environment is limited and which require a specific physical capacity.
SHERPAS AND PORTERS
When the Everest expedition fever began, the Sherpa profession was synonymous with that of carrier; that is, carrying the hikers' luggage and clearing the way for them on their way to the summit. Over time it was discovered that the Sherpas had such physical ability and knowledge of the high terrain that they could perfectly be mountain guides, leaders of explorations and could themselves create the agencies that foreign hikers would need to ascend to the summit instead of hiring international multinationals.
Today, many Sherpas have official and international titles that accredit them as mountain guides, climbers and entrepreneurs, and they are the ones who hire Western guides to help them attract international tourism.
The profession of porter still exists, working in Sherpa agencies or in international agencies carrying out the traditional duties of the Sherpas.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A MOUNTAINEER AND A SHERPA
Although it is true that mountaineers can train and adapt their bodies to the lack of oxygen, Sherpas have thinner blood in their system with lower levels of haemoglobin. It is curious that they have a lower capacity to retain oxygen, but this is compensated for by the fact that in this way the blood circulates more easily, causing less pressure on the heart.
Although, as we have previously mentioned, the capacity to retain oxygen is lower, their ability to use it is much greater. Glucose consumption is maximized and fat consumption is improved. In this way, Sherpas generate 30% more energy than mountaineers.
WHAT DIFFICULTIES DO SHEPARS FACE?
Today, the Sherpas are considered one of the richest people in Nepal, thanks to the salaries they receive as guides and the promotions they have experienced in their professional careers. However, Sherpas have traditionally been exposed to very high risks and the porters are under-resourced and continue to face modest salaries and sometimes lack decent medical insurance.
Studies show that 40% of the deaths on Everest over the last century have been caused by Sherpas carrying heavy loads for the mountaineers who had hired them. There have been 100 deaths since the Everest climbing business began and Sherpas have already spoken out on occasion to request higher salaries or better working conditions.
Accidents suffered by these guides are usually due to falls into crevasses, asphyxiation or crushing caused by avalanches or so-called “altitude sickness”, which consists of the collapse of the body and organism due to prolonged lack of oxygen and extreme temperatures. Disappearances of Sherpas during expeditions are also common.
There have been numerous expeditions that have been cancelled in protest following the occurrence of disasters on Everest, and the future of others has been put in serious doubt as many Sherpas have decided not to continue in the profession.
There is a serious problem regarding the visibility of this situation, as it is barely visible and deaths tend to be overlooked, but many of the foreign hikers who come to Everest every year and have the opportunity to speak with a family or group of Sherpa friends, return home knowing the human cost of the contemporary fever to reach the summit of Everest.
KNOWN SHERPAS
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Tenzing Norgay
Norgay was born in Tibet and before becoming a Sherpa he worked as a porter.
Tenzing Norgay is known as the first great Sherpa. He and Edmund Hillary made the first ascent of Everest in history. This event was so remarkable that the Queen of England awarded the Sherpa the George Medal, and the King of Nepal decorated him with the Order of the Star of Nepal. There is also a peak in Tibet named in his honour.
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Apa Sherpa
Apa Sherpa was born in the Khumbu Valley and was originally named Lhakpa, but after surviving a brutal avalanche as a child with his mother, they decided to change his name to Apa, which means “Loved By All”.
Apa has reached the summit of Everest 21 times, and his story of overcoming difficulties and his great physical ability and skill have crossed borders and reached the big screen. In 2018, a small independent documentary was released that tells the story of this Sherpa who, today, has his own foundation that aims to help his people.
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Kami Rita Sherpa
He comes from the village of Thame and at 51 years old he is still a mountaineer and continues his work as a mountain guide. Having reached the summit of the world on 25 occasions has made him one of the most famous Sherpas in the world. His first ascent of Everest was when he was 24 years old, when his obsession, above all else, was to reach the peak of the mountain.
His passion for mountaineering has led him to climb 34 eight-thousanders, including K2 and Manaslu. He currently works and collaborates with the company Seven Summit Treks and allocates part of his earnings to improve the living conditions of his hometown.
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Lhakpa Sherpa
Lhakpa Sherpa is 47 years old and was born in Makalu. She is currently the first Nepalese woman in history to have climbed to the top of Everest. Her goal is to elevate the role of women and be an example of self-improvement for other women.
She has climbed Everest nine times, making her the only woman to have climbed it more times in history. She made her first ascent in 2000, eight months after giving birth and when she was two months pregnant with her second child.
We hope that if you didn't know about the Sherpa people yet, you now have a clearer idea of what lies behind Everest expeditions and that there are many peoples, cultures and professions that we are completely unaware of. If, on the other hand, you already knew about their existence, we trust that this article has helped you discover something new.
