Who are the Sherpa?
The Sherpa are an ethnic group that came from Tibet around 600-700 years ago. They are the "people from the east." The word Sherpa comes from the roots "shar" meaning east and "pa" meaning people in Tibet. The Sherpa settled into the Khumbu in Nepal and from there the four major Sherpa clans migrated out at different times. The four main groups are Minyapa, Thimmi, Sertawa, and Chawa. From these four clans many other tribes have formed. Then there are the "sherpa" that work on Everest. These "sherpa" are indeed apart of the Sherpa clan, but have adopted their clan name as their occupation title. Thanks to Everest, the Sherpa are the wealthiest ethnic group per capita in Nepal. There are Sherpa that are business owners and very wealthy which allows for a steady economy in the Khumbu valley.
What are they making?In Nepal the average income per year is around $500, and compared to that the Sherpa are making a fortune. Western guides on Everest normally earn many times more of what their Sherpa are taking in, and they often times do a fair amount less work than their Sherpa do. There is an issue in the system of how much the guides are making versus the Sherpa who are doing much more of the work and often are more skilled than their guides.
The different types of Sherpa and what they are earning yearly: Sirdars: Oversee staff and client services, sometimes work above base camp, expedition depends on their experience and management abilities: $5,000 High Altitude Guides: fixes ropes and guides clients to the summit, experience climbers that have climbed Everest and other peaks: $4,000-$5,000 Government Liaison Officers: Stationed at base camp, relay expeditions progress to the tourism ministry, work with expedition leaders to minimize impacts on the mountain: $3,500 Icefall Doctors: installs and maintains ropes and ladders in the Khumbu Icefall, most of the time older and experienced and can no longer climb on the high mountain: $2,000-$4,000 Support Guides: establish, maintain, and supply lower camps and the routes between them, less expensive then other support personnel, or cannot speak other languages: $1,700- $2,500 Kitchen Staff: carry equipment to base camp and maintain the cooking operation ($1,200- $1,500) |
While the Sherpa do technically earn a respectable living relevant to where they live, they are not getting the correct benefits for after death. After the wake of the avalanche in 2014 the Sherpa were able to resurface this issue with the government in hope they could change something. Nepal takes in around $3.5 million every year because of Everest, so when the government only offers them $408 in compensation to the families who lost love ones in the avalanche there is an obvious problem . The Sherpa are demanding more insurance, new regulations, and more aid to families that have had members injured or killed. The Sherpa are getting smarter because most of them have received a least a high school diploma, so they know that the government is not being fair. After many debates between the government and the Sherpa they have said they will make improvements for this climbing season in 2015, but with the wake of this earthquake the likelihood of this happening is slim.
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