Khumbu (Nepal): Inspired by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's remarkable conquest of Mount Everest or "Goddess of the Earth" as many Sherpas refer to it, thousands of tourists and experienced mountaineers have since flooded the once silent region in the remote highlands of Nepal.

The first ascent of the planet's tallest peak opened the gates to the "roof of the world" to enthusiastic adventurers transforming the lives of the Sherpas who have lived below the shadows of Everest for centuries. Nearly 30,000 tourists visit Nepal every year.

Sherpas are blessed with features that help them thrive more than 3 miles above sea level where the air is thin and oxygen is scarce. So they play an important role as guides.

They start out as young as 12 years old working first as high-altitude porters for well-heeled mountaineers and moving up as guides for trekking groups who explore the region by hiking at altitudes under 18,000 feet, without technical equipment.

In Nepal, where most of the people are subsistence farmers, annual income per capita is about 1,500 dollars a year. Sherpas who work in the tourism industry can earn five times as much. As a result, Sherpas now do less of the heavy lifting on the trail.

A Sherpa will organise and lead the trek, but the bulky gear is usually carried by a lesser paid porter.

"It's very hard to become a guide, actually. We have to struggle a lot. We have to carry heavy load as a porter at the beginning of the job," said Harka Rai Sherpa, a guide who first started work as a porter.

Their strength, experience, calm and congenial demeanor makes them ideal companions for climbers.

"People are so wonderful. I'm just in awe of those people carrying those loads up those mountains. It's just unbelievable," said Liz Velji, one of the trekkers. Sherpas own most of the 400-plus lodges in the Khumbu region, where Mount Everest stands, and many of the companies that organise the treks in Kathmandu.

Many villages in Khumbu enjoy some of the modern conveniences made possible by Sherpas' success.

Growth in the region has not only improved the standard of living in many villages, but has also boosted up commerce. Sherpas walk for days from many different villages in the south up to Namche Bazaar, a prosperous Sherpa village and important trading center for the Saturday market.

Many tourists say it still seems like hard work by western standards, but for the Sherpa people it's a way of life regarded as a gift from the Gods, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. There is concern that as Sherpas leave Khumbu for even better opportunities, they will leave part of their culture behind as well.

Thousands of young families have moved to bigger cities like Kathmandu looking to better themselves. A population of only about 10,000 Sherpas remain in Khumbu.



ANI