Sherpa people
From Freepedia
- For other uses of the word Sherpa, go here.
The Sherpas are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. In China, they are known as the Xiaerba, although the Chinese government classifies them as a member of the Tibetan nationality. In their own language shyar means East; pa is a suffix meaning 'people': hence the word shyarpa or Sherpa. In recent years, many Sherpas have migrated to India.
Native Territory
Most Sherpas live in the eastern regions of Nepal Solu, Khumbu or Pharak. However, some live farther west in the Rolwaling valley and in the Helambu region north of Kathmandu. Pangboche is the Sherpas' oldest village in Nepal, and is estimated to have been built over 300 years ago. Sherpas speak their own Sherpa language which in many ways resembles a dialect of Tibetan. They traditionally are traders and farmers, cultivating their high altitude fields of potatoes, barley, wheat and buckwheat. Some live near Namche Bazaar. The Jirels, native people of Jiri, are ethnically related to the Sherpas. It is said that the Jirels are descendants of a Sherpa mother and Sunuwar (another ethnic group of the eastern part of Nepal) father. In India, Sherpas also inhabit the towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong and the Indian state of Sikkim.
Traditionally (although not strictly followed), the names of Sherpa men often reflect the day of the week on which they were born:
| English | Sherpa |
|---|---|
| Sunday | Ngi`ma (Ng' pronounced lingua-velar) |
| Monday | Dawa |
| Tuesday | Mingma |
| Wednesday | Lhakpa |
| Thursday | Phurba |
| Friday | Pasang |
| Saturday | Pemba |
Sherpas and Mountaineering
Sherpas were of immeasurable value to early explorers of the Himalayan region, serving as guides and porters at the extreme altitudes of the peaks and passes in the region. Today, the term has been extended to apply to almost any guide or porter hired for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas. However, in Nepal Sherpas often insist on making a distinction between themselves and general porters, as they often serve in a more guide-like role and command higher pay and respect from the community. (Often the generic term "sherpa" meaning guide is written uncapitalized, in contrast with the capitalized "Sherpa" meaning the ethnic group.)
Sherpas are renowned in the global climbing and mountaineering community for their hardiness, expertise, and experience at high altitudes. Sherpas have earned this reputation mostly because despite the value of their services, the pay is insubstantial to the point where many cannot afford the modern climbing gear that Western climbers use. Many have speculated that a portion of Sherpas' climbing ability may be due to a genetically greater lung capacity, allowing much better performance at high altitudes. It has also been suggested that one reason why they were widely used as porters is that they had fewer dietary prohibitions than most people of the region and were prepared to eat whatever was given to them on expeditions.
Historically, the most famous Sherpa is Tenzing Norgay, who climbed Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary for the first time in 1953.
Two Sherpas, Pemba Dorjie and Lhakpa Gelu, have recently competed as to who can climb Everest quicker. On May 23rd 2003 Dorji summitted in 12 hours and 46 minutes. Three days later Gelu beat his record by two hours, summitting in 10 hours 46 minutes. On May 21st 2004 Dorjie again improved the record by more than two hours with a total time of 8 hours and 10 minutes. This feat may be considered one of the greatest in mountaineering.
