The term Sherpa identifies a group of people with excellent climbing skills who often help others reach the summit of the Himalayan peaks. They are renowned in the global climbing and mountaineering community for their hardiness, expertise, and experience at high altitudes.
The Sherpas are one of the original mountain people of Nepal. Most Sherpas live in the eastern region of the country known as Solu, Khumbu, and Pharak. However, some live farther west in the Rolwaling valley and in the Helambu region north of Katmandu. Pangboche is the Sherpa’s oldest village in Nepal and is estimated to have been built over 300 years ago.
Historically, the most famous Sherpa is Tenzing Norgay, who accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary on the first successful ascent of Mount Everest in May 1953. Tenzing Norgay had attempted Everest before with other climbing parties, and has since climbed Everest many more times in his career as a Sherpa.
Two sherpas, Pemba Dorjie and Lhakpa Gelu, have recently competed to see 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.
These feats are complete without parallel in the history of climbing, and are among the greatest of any sport.