Sherpas are really the unsung heroes of mountain climbing. Where would any group heading up Everest be without their
dedicated team of sherpas carrying their crap, showing the way, helping people along? Hillary would not likely have
made it up Everest without Tenzing Norgay, let alone the scores of modern-day Hillary wannabees who pay exorbitant peak
fees to scale the world’s tallest peak. So who are the sherpas, and why don’t they get more attention?
Well, to answer some of these questions, here’s
a great NYT article about the
Himalayan sherpas. I’ve always thought that an entire documentary ought to be done about sherpas, their life-style,
their beliefs, their stamina. They’re a fascinating group of people who’s contribution to mountaineering needs to be
better recognized.