Legends of the Himalayas - The Sherpas

One of the well-known facts about Nepal is that it is one of the most popular areas among climbers. This is because many of the highest mountain peaks in the world are located in the Himalayas. Most of the mountain range lies in the territory of Nepal, so it is no wonder that Nepal is not only an important country from the point of view of Buddhism, but is also among the primary destinations for mountain climbers.

Climbing these huge peaks is one of the most exciting and at the same time dangerous challenges for mountaineers. It's no wonder that the mountain guides - Sherpas - have earned a prestigious rank among climbers.

In order to clearly see how important a good mountain guide is, the following table provides a clue. Here we can see how many deaths occurred in the six most dangerous peaks above 8,000 meters in Nepal in the proportion of successful summits until 2013.

Seeing the number and ratio of deaths compared to successful experiments, it is clear that a leader who knows the field well is key not only to success, but also to survival.

To a Westerner, a Sherpa is equivalent to a Himalayan mountain guide/porter. However, this is a mistake. Members of a local ethnic group are called Sherpas. The ethnic group lives in the eastern region of Nepal, in the highest inhabited areas of the country. It is probably due to this that a 2010 UCLA research concluded that the Sherpas have what researchers call the "super-athlete gene". This allows their bodies to utilize oxygen better than the average person. Most of the mountain guides come from this ethnic group, thanks to the place of residence at an altitude of 3,000-4,300 meters and the organization that is well adapted to the high altitude.

The Sherpas traditionally make a living from growing crops and raising livestock. Their local knowledge and their organization, which is well adapted to high-altitude conditions, made them key figures in the mountaineering tourism that developed from the beginning of the 20th century. To this day, most expeditions start with Sherpa mountain guides.

In the beginning, due to the lack of modern equipment, they carried the equipment of the expeditions on their backs, which claimed many lives. They still play an important role in carrying loads today, but it is important to point out that the sherpa is not only the burden bearer of the expedition. Thanks to their local knowledge and endurance, they lead most of the expeditions, and more than once they decide whether the inexperienced climber is allowed to continue. As experienced mountain guides, they know the signs well, and if they consider the attempt to conquer the summit dangerous, they will stop or turn back the expedition.

They are the key players in the ever-increasing popularity of Himalayan climbing tourism, even if an expedition or climber sets out to conquer the summit without them. This is due to the fact that they are the ones who check and maintain the climbing ladders and ropeways before the season.

A Sherpa was already part of the first conquest of Mount Everest. A large expedition started in 1953 to conquer the peak. Of the ten climbers, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully reached the goal. It is no wonder that the two of them successfully reached the summit, as this was the English beekeeper's fourth expedition to the Himalayas within two years. The composition of the climbing pair was no accident, Hunt, who led the expedition, originally intended to try to reach the summit with two people and to include the Sherpas in these pairs, thus proving that their performance is invaluable for the climbers.

Tenzing Norgay was already known for his summit conquests, the previous year he achieved a height record with a Swiss mountaineer that no one had ever done before. Among the members of the English expedition, he held the height record with this climb, which meant that he reached a point 1,200 meters higher than any other member of the expedition. The climbing was greatly helped by the fact that Hillary and Norgay developed a good relationship during the expedition, which allowed them to work together effectively.

They finally reached the summit at 11:30 on May 29, 1953, where they spent 15 minutes. Back in Kathmandu, they were under a lot of pressure to say who reached the summit first, but they decided not to share that information with the general public. As Hillary put it, it doesn't really matter to a climber who was first. Many times, the person who puts in the most effort to climb will step back when they reach the top and let their fellow climber reach the top first.

After this legendary climb, more and more people set out - and continue to set out to this day - to reach the peaks of the Himalayas. Mountain guides are playing an increasingly important role in the preparation, management and organization of these trips. As Rita Kami, one of today's sought-after Sherpa mountain guides, says, one of the most important parts of their job is to recognize whether the climber will be able to safely reach the set goal. This is especially important in higher altitude areas. As he says, after the 3rd camp, the trail is steep and dangerous, there is always the risk of an avalanche. If you have doubts about success, then you decide to turn back the expedition, because Everest will always be there for those who survive the expedition.

This is especially true in light of the fact that the number of not really experienced mountaineers is increasing, who set out to conquer the peak with more than necessary optimism. Some of the companies organizing the expedition tend to make it seem like climbing Everest is easy. As experienced mountaineer Alan Arnette says, climbing Everest is extremely risky for those arriving with minimal experience. Especially for them, hiring an experienced local mountain guide who knows the area, the weather and knows how to allocate oxygen can be a lifesaver.

Rita Kami, who has been working as a mountain guide since 1992 and holds the world record for the number of Everest climbs, set a new record twice this May. He reached the summit with 15 Chinese climbers on May 15 and 11 Indian climbers on May 21.

He says that the secret of his success is that he approaches the climb with the same respect and sincerity each time as if it were his first trip. For him, as for other Sherpa mountain guides, Everest is a deity. This is also reflected in the name given by the locals, Csomolungma, which means mother of the Earth god, which is treated with deep respect.

Gépi hangtál, 452 gramm

22 600 Ft ​

View product

Kézzel készített 7 fémes dizájn hangtál belül Ganésha mintával, 1448 gramm

137 500 Ft ​

View product

Gépi hangtál, 201 gramm

8 040 Ft ​

View product

Also in Blog