Sherpas, unwavering guards of the Himalayas

Times of IndiaTIMESOFINDIA.COM/TRAVEL TRENDS, NEPAL/ Created : Aug 7, 2020, 12:58 IST

Sherpas, unwavering guards of the Himalayas

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Synopsis

The Sherpas are an ethnic group that lives in the mountain peaks of the Himalayas, Nepal. They essentially guide people, who come with the aim of scaling the highest peak in the world, Mt Everest. The Sherpas are one of the most h … Read more

Sherpas, unwavering guards of the Himalayas

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Their history

The Sherpas have a rather long and interesting history of migration; theirs date back to the 1500s when they migrated from Tibet to Nepal.

The community that helps others climb mountains did not climb themselves in the 20th century. They thought that the peaks were home to the Gods, so they mostly passed by. It was in the 1920s that they actually got involved in climbing mountains and it was mostly because of the British. The Indian subcontinent was ruled by the British around that time and they planned mountain expeditions and hired Sherpas as porters.

Over years, as porters, they became used to climbing the world’s highest peaks and that is how climbing became a part of their culture.

Sherpas – the Superhumans

The Sherpa community is so powerful that they can be easily called as Superhumans. Their ability to live and not just survive but live a healthy lifestyle on mountain peaks, where there is a dearth of oxygen, has surprised scientists.

It is almost safe to say that this community has it in their genes and this has developed over decades. Their community gives others a motivation to climb, but we must understand that they are much different than normal humans, they have evolved and developed ways to live with less oxygen over years. If an average climber reaches 8000 ft above sea level, they will feel a shortage of oxygen, their blood pressure might even rise and, in some cases, the brain develops a swelling which is life-threatening.

These are the risks that a climber would face at 8000 ft, but the Sherpas live above an average altitude 14,000 ft.

Studying the Sherpas

It is both curiosity and amazement that scientists and doctors are keen to study this community because patients with critical illnesses also often have trouble breathing due to lack of oxygen and this problem is mastered by the Sherpas. Studying their body and changes to understand their survival will help them create better treatments and provide better therapy to patients in the future.