See on Scoop.it – The Cultural & Economic Landscapes
The worst accident in Everest’s history underscores an unfortunate reality: ascents have gotten safer for Westerners, but not for Sherpas.
The tragedy on the recent Mount Everest climb injured nine. I addition, it took the lives of sixteen Nepali guides.
"Although many news reports indicated that all the victims were Sherpas, the legendary mountain people who comprise just half of one per cent of the Nepali population, three of the sixteen were members of other, much larger ethnic groups: one was Gurung, one was Tamang, and one was a member of the Hindu Chhetri caste.
All, however, were employed as high-altitude climbing sherpas, with a lowercase “s”—an élite profession that deservedly commands respect and admiration from mountaineers around the world."
See on www.newyorker.com
