The word Sherpa originally referred to an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Niple, high into the Himalayas (although many of them now live in India). In China, they are known as the Xiaerba, although the government classifies them as a member of the Tibetan nationality. In recent years, many Sherpas have migrated to India. An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... The Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. ... A Tibetan pilgrim The Tibetans speak the Tibetan language natively and form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), although in anthropological terms they include more than one ethnic group. ...

A Nepalese Sherpa and his pack.

Copyright 2001, Peter Krohn. ... Copyright 2001, Peter Krohn. ...

Native Territory

Most Sherpas live in the eastern regions of Nepal known as Solu, Khumbu and 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 a Tibetan dialect and traditionally are traders and farmers, cultivating their high altitude fields of potatoes, barley, wheat and buckwheat. If they live within a day's walk of Namche Bazaar, some will raise water buffalo and slaughter them for the Saturday market in Namche. The Jirels are ethnically related to the Sherpas. In India, Sherpas also inhabit the towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong and the Indian state of Sikkim. Khumbu is one of three subregions of the main Sherpa kingdom of the Himalayas, the other two being Solu and Pharak. ... This article is about the city. ... The Tibetan language is typically classified as member of the Tibeto-Burman which in turn is thought by some to be a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. ... A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος) is a variety of a language used by people from a particular geographic area. ... Namche Bazaar (or Namche Bazar) is a village in the Khumbu region of Nepal. ... Water Buffalo in Indonesia Binomial name Bubalus arnee (Kerr, 1792) The Water Buffalo is a very large ungulate. ... The Jirel (also known as Jiripas) of Nepal are both ethnically and linguistically related to both the Sherpas and Sunuwars. ... The Toy Train approaching Darjeeling Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal and centre of the region of the same name, situated in the foothills of the Himalaya at elevations of between 2,000 and 3,000 metres above sea level. ... Kalimpong town as viewed from a distant hill. ... Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ...

Traditionally (although not strictly followed), the names of Sherpa men often reflect the day of the week on which they were born:

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. 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, they were prepared to eat whatever was given to them on expeditions. See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. ... The Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. ... If you were looking for the car, please see Mercury Mountaineer. ... Climbers on Valkyrie at the Roaches. ...

Historically, the most famous Sherpa is Tenzing Norgay, who climbed Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary for the first time in 1953. Tenzing had already taken part in six previous expeditions to climb Mount Everest. Tenzing Norgay (May 15, 1914 - May 9, 1986) was a Sherpa of Nepal, a participant in seven expeditions to Mount Everest culminating in the first successful ascent, during Sir John Hunts expedition of 1953. ... Everest is the highest mountain on Earth (as measured from sea level). ... Edmund Hillary on the New Zealand 5 dollar note Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE (born July 20, 1919) is a New Zealander mountaineer and explorer, most famous for the first successful climb of Mount Everest. ...

Two Sherpas, Pemba Dorjie and Lhakpa Gelu, have recently competed as to who can climb Everest quicker. On May 23rd 2003 Dorji took 12 hours and 46 minutes to climb to the top. Three days later Gelu beat his record by two hours, climbing to the top in 10 hours 46 minutes. On May 21st 2004 Dorji 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.

See Also

• Demographics of Nepal
• Tenzing Norgay
• Tengboche
• Sirdar
• Yeti