Sherpas and Mount Everest

Sherpa people are an icon of mountaineering. Almost every records and legends related to mountaineering is recorded under the name of Sherpa. These people are high altitude beasts. Moreover, these people define the scenery of mountaineering. Nepal is the home of this intrepid mountain clan. In this blog, the blogger tries to find the relation between Sherpas and Mount Everest. The Mt. Everest is the world’s tallest mountain. It is one of the most decorated mountains which everyone wants to climb and knit a legendary tale of their lives.

Mt. Everest is not just a snowy peak that is the tallest mountain in the world. It is in fact an emotion of Nepalese people. Interestingly, it is the national identity. Every year thousands of climbers wish to climb this gigantic snowy peak but few only succeed. The success rate of climbers depends directly with the association of Sherpa people.

What are the major villages of Sherpa people in Mount Everest region?

Khumjung, Khunde, Thame, Pangboche, Namche, and Dingboche are major villages of Sherpa people in the Everest Base Camp Trek route. These villages are probably the most densely populated villages of Sherpa people. Besides these villages, Sherpa people are found in some villages of Langtang region of Nepal as well. Few of Sherpa people are residing in Darjeeling and Sikkim of India. Nowadays, more than 16000 Sherpa people live in United States of America too. As per the latest census of Nepal, there are more than 1.6 million Sherpa all over the world. If you do the Everest Base Camp Trek or any kinds of trekking activities in the Everest region, you can explore the villages of Sherpa people.

You may not stay overnight at Sherpa houses but you will surely use the logistics run by Sherpa people. Up to Namche Bazaar you can find lodges or eateries run by others too but beyond Namche Bazaar, you will have to use accommodation run by Sherpa people.

Mount Everest is a deity of Sherpa people

Sherpa consider mountain as their clan god. Yes, it is an interesting tale that Sherpa known for their climbing prowess regard mountain as their god. Mt. Everest is the English name of the mountain. In fact, Sherpa people call it Chomolongma. It means a god and a mother. Therefore, before the start of the Everest Expedition, Sherpa people conduct special puja ceremony. It is to regard the mountain and to ensure safety during high altitude expedition.

Besides Mt. Everest, Sherpa people regard Mt. Thamserku, Mt. Amadablam, and Mt. Kwangde as their deity. It is important to note that Sherpa people and mountains have special connections. Major festivals of Sherpa people are Dumji and Mani Rimdu. During these festivals, Sherpa people pray for world peace and Worship Mountains inside the monastery. The most iconic monastery where they host festival is the Tengboche Monastery.

Who has more records on Mt. Everest?

Obviously, Sherpa people have many records related to mountaineering in Everest. So far the legendary climber Kami Rita Sherpa has scaled Mt Everest 30 times breaking his record in May 2024.  From the highest number of successful mountain ascents to no oxygen climbing; Sherpa people have all the records. Since the opening of climbing the mountain, Sherpa people have become an integral part of the Everest expedition.

Mount Everest is a pillar of Nepalese Tourism

Climbing and tourism are the major sources of income for Sherpa people. Farming up in the mountains is unimaginable. Therefore, these people have to rely on either tourism or climbing. Their natural talent of climbing a mountain has paved way for their economic uplift as well. Nowadays, Sherpa people lead the expedition group or operate tea house / lodge in the trekking route. It has resulted in the greater economic benefit to these people.

Sherpa are the people who open path for all the climbers to climb the Mt. Everest. Yes, as an icefall doctor and rope fixer, Sherpa pave way for others to scale Mt. Everest. Without the help of Sherpa people it is impossible to climb Mt. Everest. In fact, the first successful ascent of the mountain was possible with the help of Sherpa called Tenzing Norgay. Mr. Norgay assisted Sir Edmund Hillary to successfully climb the Mt. Everest for the first time. He is from Thame village nearby Namche Bazaar in the Everest region of Nepal.

How doing Everest Base Camp Trek takes us closer to Sherpa people?

While doing the Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal, trekkers can visit more than 5 Sherpa villages. These excursions help trekkers to understand about the daily lives of these people. Do you know that Sherpa people do farming in the places more than four thousands meter altitude? Yes, these people are so hard working that they cultivate potatoes, uwa, and high altitude rice up in the Himalayas. During this trek, trekkers can visit their homeland and know about them up close. In fact, major villages of Sherpa people are Khumjung, Khunde, and Pangboche. These villages are in the trekking route of the Everest Base Camp Trek. Moreover, Sherpa people’s marketplace the Namche Bazaar is in the route. The town is the last town where you can get eateries, banks, shops, bars, and lodges run by Sherpa people on the Everest Base Camp Trek route.

By doing Everest Base Camp Trek, you can understand Sherpa people to the fullest. Monasteries in Tengboche and Pangboche reveal their spiritual importance. Moreover, these people worship nature to the fullest. Therefore, you can see prayer flags in suspension bridges and chortens in every trekking section. They too worship lakes, mountains and rivers. Therefore, doing the Everest Base Camp Trek can provide you best opportunity to understand the culture and traditions of Sherpa people.

What is the connection of Sherpa and Mount Everest?

From fixing a rope to assisting people to successfully climb the mountain, Sherpa work so hard. They are pivotal force of Everest tourism. The region is getting lots of trekkers and admirers and at the same time Sherpa people are getting lots of options to lift their lifestyle. There are many legends and records under the name of Sherpa people. Therefore, you can’t separate Sherpa from Mt. Everest. This easily proves that Sherpa and Mount Everest has a special emotional connection.