We often assume a Sherpa is whoever carries thirty kilos from village to village. That is a porter, and porters are not necessarily Sherpa. The difference matters when you are walking through their home.
An ethnic group, not a profession
Sherpas are an ethnic group of roughly 180,000 people living mainly in Nepal's Himalaya. They migrated from the Tibetan region some 500 years ago and are mostly Tibetan Buddhist, though many today identify as agnostic.
Why they became linked to mountaineering
Living above 3,000 m gave them a remarkable physiological adaptation to altitude. When the first Everest expeditions arrived, their terrain knowledge and endurance made them indispensable: many are now certified high-mountain guides, not simply load carriers.
How you experience it with us
- Our local team in Nepal is Sherpa and guides as such: named, paid and credited.
- Porters carry loads capped by agreement and with proper gear of their own.
- We sleep in lodges run by Khumbu families: the money stays in the valley.
When you reach Namche Bazaar and hear Sherpa spoken in the market, you understand the Base Camp trek is not just a hike: it is entering a mountain culture that has been there for centuries.
