sherpas

Those of you who like Nepal might be interested in an unusual film project that will be taking place in the Everest foothills next autumn, featuring a memorable cast of characters from a remote Sherpa village.

Western operators say cheap Nepali operators who employ inexperienced Sherpas are making Everest more dangerous. There are two sides to this issue, and I will do my best to outline both as I provide the commercial client’s perspective.

I believe the Everest debate has progressed in the last couple of years, but then a badly-informed article appears in a mass-market publication which takes it back a few years, and reignites hatred against those who dream of climbing high mountains.

The early history of the 8000m peaks has traditionally been seen as a competition between Europeans and Americans to become the first nation to climb one, but the Sherpa contribution should never be forgotten.

I expect not too many people have found themselves in a movie theatre watching a two-hour film about a real life drama for which they have been an eyewitness. In December I had that experience for the first, and perhaps the only, time in my life.

Tourism in Nepal has been hit hard by the earthquakes and border blockade, and tourist numbers have declined significantly. Against this backdrop, Nepal’s government continues to make announcements which damage its reputation as a tourist destination.

Last year I was on my way into the Khumbu Icefall on Everest, and watched in horror as a huge avalanche took the lives of sixteen Sherpas. This year I watched from a distance as an earthquake put that event into perspective. Here is my personal account of witnessing both tragedies.

There’s no better way to mark the anniversary of the avalanche on Everest last year than by remembering one of the Sherpas who died. Here’s a post that is a tribute not just to him, but to all Sherpas who work the high mountains.

I’ve recently finished reading Cho Oyu by Herbert Tichy, an account of the first ascent of Cho Oyu in 1954. The book is hard to get hold of, but it’s as good as Maurice Herzog’s Annapurna, regarded by many as one the best mountaineering books ever written.

It was silly season in the media again last week, when the BBC latched onto another Everest story. But while the media were busy having their usual feeding frenzy, expedition operators didn’t help by squabbling among themselves.

Nepal stories: the monk, the witch and the mountain guide

Are western operators right to complain about cheap Nepali operators on Everest?

Sherpa: They Live, We Come Back

An early history of the 8000m peaks: the Sherpa contribution

My review of Sherpa – Trouble on Everest

Nepal announces cuts to Sherpa safety to attract more tourists

Everest 2014-15: A personal tale of two tragedies

Remembering the avalanche: a tribute to all Sherpas

Battle of the blockbusters: Herzog’s Annapurna vs. Tichy’s Cho Oyu

When expedition operators should be taken with a pinch of salt