Today, our class learned about the extreme environment that is Mount Everest. Many people will travel to this mountain to try to climb to the summit. It is a treacherous and dangerous mission because of the extreme cold temperatures, lack of oxygen, unpredictable storms, and harsh and icy terrain. Even more impressive, however, are the Sherpa people who have been helping tourists climb the mountains for decades. The Sherpa people are a cultural group who live in and around Nepal. Many members of the Sherpa people are hired as guides for people looking to climb the mountain. The Sherpa will risk their lives to get enough money to pay for their family and children’s education, sometimes climbing the mountain up to 20 times! Many Scientists have called these Sherpa guides “superhuman athletes” because of their strength, perseverance, and heroism!
Would you ever consider climbing Mount Everest? Have you ever heard of the Sherpa community? Why do you think the stories we hear are often of tourists climbing the mountain, not the members of the Sherpa community?