By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
The Sherpas of north-eastern Nepal are one of the most resilient ethnic groups of the country.
Ever since mountaineering became an established sport, the Sherpas were at the forefront – indispensable for expeditions in the Himalayas – whether as porters, cooks or assistants to the foreign mountaineers.
With time, the Sherpas gathered such experience that they are today leaders in the mountaineering sector – in fact, some of them belong to the crème de la crème of the mountaineering fraternity.
Their renowned skill in clearing the way for mountaineers has contributed to the fact that the word “Sherpa” is now a common noun in the English language denoting a civil servant, diplomat or expert who undertakes crucial preparatory work prior to a summit conference or significant meeting on behalf of governments or CEOs.
Many of the Sherpas act as trekking and mountain guides and their work is essential to make the sojourn of foreign tourists safe and enjoyable.
Unfortunately, the government and the tourism sector in general – the tourism establishment – have not seen fit to regulate the employment of trekking and mountain guides, among them many Sherpas in a proper manner.
The trekking and mountaineering season is very short in Nepal, and it is next to impossible to earn enough to raise a family properly, let alone educate the children or save for a rainy day or the future.
In addition, the government is only concentrating on increasing the number of tourists, including trekkers and mountaineers. However, the government should stress quality not quantity.
The increasing number of tourists on the slopes of Mount Everest each year is not sustainable. The pictures of long queues on the flanks is a disgrace.
In our country many party honchos want to become ministers, whether they are qualified or not, or bring the necessary experience. Becoming a minister may be the pinnacle of a party-political career, but it also brings responsibilities.
This applies no doubt to the minister of tourism. It requires an intense on the job training. He must visit all the sight-seeing, trekking and mountaineering destinations, and also be an active participant.
She/He will then realize that the emoluments for porters and guides will have to be raised drastically, perhaps gradually. They must also be insured respectably, so that in case of accident and death, their families are not left high and dry.
These demands are reasonable, but there is absolutely no hope that the defunct government or the entrenched tourism establishment will lift even their little fingers to do anything about it.
The porters and guides must take the future into their own hands and demonstrate effectively before the start of the next tourist season in September.
The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@ Hotmail.com
[Editor’s Note: In the course of a variegated career, the writer finally made his hobby into profession and was for 20 years, first a mountain & cultural guide in Nepal, Kashmir/Ladakh, Sikkim and Bhutan and then the country representative for the DAV Summit Club, Munich, Germany’s leading mountain adventure travel company].
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