Every year, Sherpas risk their own lives attempting to safely guide other mountaineers to the summit of Mount Everest, yet they receive no special award or recognition after accomplishing this amazing feat for many other mountaineers. A couple thousand dollars may seem like a reasonable fee to aid others up the mountain, but it is not worth the life-threatening conditions they must overcome. Sherpas are genetically adapted to the below-freezing temperature and they have a stronger resistance to the effects of high altitudes compared to Western tourists. Because Sherpas are physically and mentally adapted to the weather conditions of Mount Everest, they serve as helpful guides who carry extra oxygen and other supplies necessary for the expedition.
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Many Sherpas who are brave enough to climb Everest, return to their families crippled for life. Because of the economical crisis that the Khumbu-valley faces, Sherpas who have been permanently disabled during a climb are not paid by the government. According to Will Morrow, Sherpas want 30 percent of the mountain revenue to, “...be spent on compensation for workers killed and those who are injured” (6). The reason for this, is because Mount Everest receives all income from tourists all over the world. When it comes to an Everest expedition, a vast majority of expert climbers rely upon the help of Sherpas; however, the money that comes from these expeditions go straight to the Nepalese government, rather than the Sherpas. Due to their disabilities, work is hard to come by and there are no other jobs that will pay as much as being a guide. Even though many disabled Sherpas are unable to find work, they are able to be with their families. However, those who die, leave their family with an economic and an emotional burden to deal with. The villages in Khumbu-valley are tiny, and most of those houses contain missing men, widows, and even orphans who have lost their husbands and fathers on Everest (Marrow 14). Those who have died on the mountain leave their families with no money to support them, and without the government’s help, these families will soon perish as well. Climbing Mount Everest is no easy feat, and Sherpas are well aware of this which is why they get paid to haul other people’s weight up the mountain. If it were not for the Sherpas, a majority of famous Everest climbers would have died. In Billie Mandelbaum’s, Exploiting The Sherpas, “Demands included a $20,000 death benefit...and the establishment of a memorial fund” (4). A $20,000 death benefit will surely support the Sherpas
Many Sherpas who are brave enough to climb Everest, return to their families crippled for life. Because of the economical crisis that the Khumbu-valley faces, Sherpas who have been permanently disabled during a climb are not paid by the government. According to Will Morrow, Sherpas want 30 percent of the mountain revenue to, “...be spent on compensation for workers killed and those who are injured” (6). The reason for this, is because Mount Everest receives all income from tourists all over the world. When it comes to an Everest expedition, a vast majority of expert climbers rely upon the help of Sherpas; however, the money that comes from these expeditions go straight to the Nepalese government, rather than the Sherpas. Due to their disabilities, work is hard to come by and there are no other jobs that will pay as much as being a guide. Even though many disabled Sherpas are unable to find work, they are able to be with their families. However, those who die, leave their family with an economic and an emotional burden to deal with. The villages in Khumbu-valley are tiny, and most of those houses contain missing men, widows, and even orphans who have lost their husbands and fathers on Everest (Marrow 14). Those who have died on the mountain leave their families with no money to support them, and without the government’s help, these families will soon perish as well. Climbing Mount Everest is no easy feat, and Sherpas are well aware of this which is why they get paid to haul other people’s weight up the mountain. If it were not for the Sherpas, a majority of famous Everest climbers would have died. In Billie Mandelbaum’s, Exploiting The Sherpas, “Demands included a $20,000 death benefit...and the establishment of a memorial fund” (4). A $20,000 death benefit will surely support the Sherpas