Sherpa (Tibetan: "eastern people", from shar "east" + pa "people") are an ethnic

group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas.[1]
Sherpa as a surname appears to be the result of the Nepalese government census t
akers. Not recognizing that some people only have one name, they wrote the word
on census forms in the space for last name. In some cases the clan name was writ
ten and in others the ethnicity, i.e. Sherpa. These have then been adopted / for
ced to be used as last names, last names not being a part of sherpa culture.[2]
A similar effect is seen with the Karen people, who also do not have traditional
ly more than one name and are a mobile mountain folk.
Most Sherpa people live in Nepal's eastern regions; however, some live farther w
est in the Rolwaling valley and in the Helambu region north of Kathmandu. Tengbo
che is the oldest Sherpa village in Nepal. The Sherpa language belongs to the so
uth branch of the Tibeto-Burman languages; however, this language is separate fr
om Lhasa Tibetan and unintelligible to Lhasa speakers.[3]
The number of Sherpas immigrating to the West has significantly increased in rec
ent years, especially to the United States. New York City has the largest Sherpa
community in the United States, with a population of approximately 2,500. The 2
001 Nepal Census recorded 154,622 Sherpas within its borders, of which 92.83% we
re Buddhists, 6.26% were Hindus, 0.63% were Christians and 0.20% were Bn.
Contents
1 History
2 Mountaineering
2.1 Deaths in 2014 Everest avalanche
3 Religion
4 Traditional clothing
5 Traditional housing
6 Famous Sherpas
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
History
Selected ethnic groups of Nepal: Sherpa, Thakali, Gurung, Sunuwar Kirati, Rai, L
ohorung, Parali, Bahing, Limbu, Newar, Pahari, Tamang
The Sherpa were nomadic people who first settled in the Solukhumbu District (Khu
mbu), Nepal then gradually moved westward along salt trade routes. According to
Sherpa oral history, four groups migrated out of Solukhumbu at different times,
giving rise to the four main Sherpa clans: Minyagpa, Thimmi, Sertawa and Chawa.
These four groups have since split into the more than 20 different clans that ex
ist today. About 1840 Sherpa ancestors migrated from Kham. Mahayana Buddhism rel
igious conflict may have contributed to the migration in the 15th and 16th centu
ries. Sherpa migrants traveled through and Tsang, before crossing the Himalaya.[
4]
By the 1800s, Khumbu Sherpa people attained autonomy within the newly formed Nep
ali state. In the 1960s, as tension with China increased, Nepali government infl
uence on the Sherpa people grew. In 1976, Khumbu became a national park and tour
ism became a major economic force.[4]
According to Oppitz (1968), Sherpas migrated from the Kham region in eastern Tib
et to Nepal within the last 300 400 years.[5] On the other hand, Gautam (1994) con
cluded that Sherpa migrated from Tibet approximately 600 years ago, through the
Nangpa La pass. It is presumed that the group of people from Kham region, east o
f Tibet, was called "Shyar Khamba" (People who came from eastern Kham), and the

place where they settled was called "Shyar Khumbu". As the time passed the "Shya
r Khamba", inhabitants of Shyar Khumbu, were called Sherpa.[6] A recent Nepal Et
hnographic Museum (2001) study postulated that Sherpas were not migrants who cro
ssed the border of Tibet to Nepal, since the modern political entity of Nepal wa
s not in existence then. After the unification by P.N. Shah in 1768, the Himalay
an region of present day Nepal became an integral part of the kingdom of Nepal.
Since ancient times Sherpas, like other indigenous Kirat Nepalese tribes, would
move from one place to another place within the Himalayan region as Alpine pasto
ralists and traders.[7] Genetic evidence shows that the majority of Sherpa have
a Tibeto-Burman origin, considerable genetic components from Indian Subcontinent
have been observed in Sherpa people living in Tibet. The western Y chromosomal
haplogroups R1a1a-M17, J-M304, and F*-M89 comprise almost 17% of Sherpa paternal
gene pool. In the maternal side, M5c2, M21d, and U from the west also count up
to 8% of Sherpa people.[8]
Mountaineering
Sherpa mountain guide Pemba Dorjee at Khumbu Ice Fall
Sherpas are highly regarded as elite mountaineers and experts in their local ter
rain. They were immeasurably valuable to early explorers of the Himalayan region
, serving as guides at the extreme altitudes of the peaks and passes in the regi
on, particularly for expeditions to climb Mount Everest. Today, the term is ofte
n used by foreigners to refer to almost any guide, climbing supporter or porter
hired for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas, regardless of their ethni
city. Because of this usage, the term has become a slang byword for a guide or m
entor in other situations.[9] Sherpas are renowned in the international climbing
and mountaineering community for their hardiness, expertise, and experience at
very high altitudes. It has been speculated that a part of the Sherpas' climbing
ability is the result of a genetic adaptation to living in high altitudes. Some
of these adaptations include unique hemoglobin-binding capacity and doubled nit
ric oxide production.[10]
Deaths in 2014 Everest avalanche
Main article: 2014 Mount Everest avalanche
On 18 April 2014, a serac collapsed above the Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest, c
ausing an avalanche of massive chunks of ice and snow which killed 16 Nepalese g
uides, mostly Sherpas.[11] The 2014 avalanche is the second deadliest disaster i
n Everest's history, only superseded by avalanches in the Khumbu Icefall area ju
st a year later, on 25 April 2015, caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal
. In response to that tragedy and others involving deaths and injuries sustained
by Sherpas hired by climbers, and the lack of government support for Sherpas in
jured or killed while providing their services, some Sherpa climbing guides walk
ed off the job, and some climbing companies are no longer providing guides and p
orters for Everest expeditions.[12][13]
Religion
Thame Gompa is one of numerous Sherpa monasteries
According to oral Buddhist traditions, the initial Tibetan migration was a searc
h for a beyul (Buddhist pure-lands). Sherpas belong to the Nyingmapa, the "Ancie
nt" school of Tibetan Buddhism. Allegedly the oldest Buddhist sect in Tibet, fou
nded by Padmasambhava (commonly known as Guru Rinpoche) during the 8th century,
it emphasizes mysticism and the incorporation of local deities shared by the pre
-Buddhist Bon religion, which has shamanic elements. Sherpa particularly believe
in hidden treasures and valleys. Traditionally, Nyingmapa practice was passed d
own orally through a loose network of lay practitioners. Monasteries with celiba
te monks and nuns, along with the belief in reincarnated spiritual leaders are l
ater adaptations.[4]
In addition to Buddha and the great Buddhist divinities, the Sherpa also believe
in numerous deities and demons who inhabit every mountain, cave, and forest. Th
ese have to be respected or appeased through ancient practices woven into the fa

bric of Buddhist ritual life. Many of the great Himalayan mountains are consider
ed sacred. The Sherpas call Mount Everest Chomolungma and respect it as the "Mot
her of the World." Mount Makalu is respected as the deity Shankar (Shiva). Each
clan reveres certain mountain peaks and their protective deities.
Today, the day-to-day Sherpas religious affairs are presided over by lamas (Budd
hist spiritual leaders) and other religious practitioners living in the villages
. The village lama who presides over ceremonies and rituals can be a celibate mo
nk or a married householder. In addition, shamans (lhawa) and soothsayers (mindu
ng) deal with the supernatural and the spirit world. Lamas identify witches (pem
), act as the mouthpiece of deities and spirits, and diagnose spiritual illnesse
s.
An important aspect of Sherpa religion is the monastery or gompa. There are some
two dozen gompas scattered throughout the Solukhumbu region. They are communiti
es of lamas or monks (sometimes of nuns) who take a vow of celibacy and lead a l
ife of isolation searching for truth and religious enlightenment. They are respe
cted by and supported by the community at large. Their contact with the outside
world is focused on monastery practices and annual festivals to which the public
is invited, as well as the reading of sacred texts at funerals.
Minority religions for Sherpas include Hinduism and Roman Catholicism.
Traditional clothing
Men wear long-sleeved robes called kitycow, which fall to slightly below the kne
e. Chhuba is tied at the waist with a cloth sash called kara, creating a pouch-l
ike space called tolung which can be used for storing and carrying small items.
Traditionally, chhuba were made from thick home-spun wool, or a variant called l
okpa made from sheepskin. Chhuba are worn over raatuk, a blouse (traditionally m
ade out of bure, white raw silk), trousers called kanam, and an outer jacket cal
led tetung.
Women traditionally wear long-sleeved floor-length dresses of thick wool called
tongkok. A sleeveless variation called engi is worn over a raatuk (blouse) in wa
rmer weather. These are worn with colourful striped aprons; metil aprons are wor
n in front, and gewe in back, and are held together by an embossed silver buckle
called kyetig.[14]
Sherpa clothing resembles Tibetan clothing. Increasingly, home-spun wool and sil
k is being replaced by factory-made material. Many Sherpa people also now wear r
eady-made western clothing.
Traditional housing
Traditional Sherpa architecture, but with a steel roof.
When a son marries and has children, the community may help to construct a new h
ouse, as the extended family becomes too large for a single home. The neighbors
often contribute food, drinks and labor to help the family. Houses are typically
spaced to allow fields in between. A spiritual ceremony may be conducted at eve
ry building stage as the house must have space for deities, humans and animals.
Once constructed, the house is often handed down within a family and not sold. T
he house style depends on the lay of the land: old river terraces, former lake b
eds or mountain slopes. There are stone single story, one and a half story (on a
slope), and the two story houses, with ample room for animals. Many well-to-do
families will have an annex shrine room for sacred statues, scriptures and ritua
l objects. The roof is sloping and is made from local natural materials, or impo
rted metal. There's space in the roof to allow for fire smoke to escape. There m
ay be an internal or external outhouse for making compost.[15]
Famous Sherpas
One of the most well known Sherpas is Tenzing Norgay. In 1953 he and Sir Edmund

Hillary became the first people known to have reached the summit of Mount Everes
t.[16][17][18][19] Norgay's son Jamling Tenzing Norgay also climbed Everest in h
onor of his father with the mountaineers Ed Viesturs and Araceli Segarra during
the disastrous year of 1996.
In 2003 Sherpas, Pemba Dorje and Lhakpa Gelu, competed to see who could climb Ev
erest from base camp the fastest. On 23 May 2003, Dorjie reached the summit in 1
2 hours and 46 minutes. Three days later, Gelu beat his record by two hours, rea
ching the summit in 10 hours 46 minutes. On 21 May 2004, Dorjie again improved t
he time by more than two hours with a total time of 8 hours and 10 minutes.[20]
On 11 May 2011, Apa Sherpa successfully reached the summit of Everest for the tw
enty-first time, breaking his own record for the most successful ascents.[21] He
first climbed Mount Everest in 1989 at the age of 29.[22] One of the most famou
s Nepalese female mountaineers was Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first Nepali female
climber to reach the summit of Everest, but who died during the descent. Another
well-known woman Sherpa was the two-time Everest summiter Pemba Doma Sherpa, wh
o died after falling from Lhotse on 22 May 2007.[23]
Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa is one half of a Nepali duo that was voted "People's Choice
Adventurers of the Year 2012". In April 2011, Lakpa Tsheri and Sano Babu Sunuwar
made the 'Ultimate Descent': a three-month journey in which they climbed Everes
t, then paraglided down the mountain and proceeded to kayak through Nepal and In
dia until they reached the Indian Ocean.[24]
2001, Temba Tsheri was youngest Everest climber in the world. ( holder of guines
s book of world record). On 19 May 2012, 16-year-old Nima Chhamzi Sherpa became
the youngest woman to climb Everest; the previous record holder was Nimdoma Sher
pa, who summited in 2008, also at 16 years old.[25]
Chhurim Sherpa (Nepal) summitted Everest twice in May 2012. 12 May and 19 May. G
uinness World Records recognized her for being the first female Sherpa to summit
Everest twice in one climbing season.
On July 26 2014, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, and Maya Sherpa crest
ed the 28,251-foot (8,611-meter) summit of K2, the second highest mountain in th
e world. In doing so, the three Nepali women have become the first all-female te
am to climb what many mountaineers consider a much tougher challenge than Everes
t. The feat was announced in climbing circles as a breakthrough achievement for
women in high-altitude mountaineering. Only 18 of the 376 people who have summit
ed K2 have been women.
See also
Demographics of Nepal
Sardar
Tengboche
References
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tional Sherpa Culture. Jyatha, Thamel: Vajra Publications. p. 2. ISBN 9789937506
205.
"Why do a fair number of Sherpas have "Sherpa" in their name". The Straight Dope
. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
"Journe d'tude : Dserts. Y a-t-il des corrlations entre l'cosystme et le changement li
nguistique ?". Lacito.vjf.cnrs.fr. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
Sherpa, Lhakpa Norbu (2008). Through a Sherpa Window: Illustrated Guide to Sherp
a Culture. Kathmandu, Nepal: Vajra Publications. ISBN 978-9937506205.
Oppitz, Michael (1968). Geschichte furu und Sozialordnung der Sherpa, Teil 1 (PD
F) (in German). Innsbrck and Munich, Germany: Universitts-Verlag Wagner. ISBN 978-

3-7030-1039-2.
"Tapting Samaj Sewa". Tapting.org. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
"Nepal Ethnographic Museum". Asia-planet.net. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
Kang, Longli, Chuan-Chao Wang, Feng Chen, Dali Yao, Li Jin, and Hui Li. "Northwa
rd genetic penetration across the Himalayas viewed from Sherpa people." Mitochon
drial DNA, (2014):1-8.
Educational Media and Technology Yearbook - Volume 36, Michael Orey, Stephanie A
. Jones, Robert Maribe Branch, page 94 (2011), ISBN 1461413044: "A Sherpa is tra
ditionally a knowledgeable native who guides mountain climbers on their most dif
ficult and risky ascents." Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the She
rpa Climbers, by Peter Zuckerman, Amanda Padoan, page 65 (2012), ISBN 0393079880
: "Lowlanders clutching the Lonely Planet guide are convinced they want to hire a
sherpa, even if they don't know what a Sherpa is..."
Kamler, K. (2004). Surviving the extremes: What happens to the body and mind at
the limits of human endurance, p. 212. New York: Penguin.
Krakauer, Jon (21 April 2014). "Death and Anger on Everest". The New Yorker. Ret
rieved 24 April 2014. "Of the twenty-five men hit by the falling ice, sixteen we
re killed, all of them Nepalis working for guided climbing teams."
McCarthy, Julie (April 24, 2014). "Sherpas Walk Off The Job After Deadly Avalanc
he". NPR.
The Associated Press (April 21, 2014). "Sherpas Consider Boycott After Everest D
isaster". NPR.
Sherpa, Lhakpa Norbu (2008). Through a Sherpa Window : Illustrated Guide to Sher
pa Culture. Nepal: Vajra Publications. pp. 138 141. ISBN 978-9937506205.
Sherpa, Lhakpa Norbu (2008). Through a Sherpa Window : Illustrated Guide to Sher
pa Culture. Nepal: Vajra Publications. pp. 14 16. ISBN 978-9937506205.
"1953: First Footsteps - Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay". National Geogra
phic. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
Christchurch City Libraries, Famous New Zealanders. Retrieved 23 January 2007.
Everest not as tall as thought Agene France-Presse (on abc.net.au), 10 October 20
05
PBS, NOVA, First to Suhdfhdghndfgjndfhghdfg