Global Courant 2023-05-23 13:15:07
Two Nepalese Sherpas take sole proprietorship to its limits on top of the world.
Pasang Dawa Sherpa and Kami Rita Sherpa, decorated mountain guides and friends, have spent the past few days climbing Mount Everest in quick succession in search of the record for most ascents of the world’s tallest mountain.
It’s a grueling competition with monetary rewards and hazards abundant, turning what is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most climbers into a repeat gig for the experienced Sherpas.
For decades, the two men have been trying to outdo each other, but the rivalry has flared up this year. Their streak of ascents began on May 14, when 46-year-old Pasang Dawa Sherpa climbed Everest for a record-breaking 26th time. Days later, Kami Rita Sherpa, 53, regained the crown with his 27th ascent of the mountain.
Then, on Monday, Pasang Dawa Sherpa – eight days after his previous climb – did it again. A day later, Kami Rita Sherpa summited again, for another streak of 28 summits.
It was unclear whether Pasang Dawa Sherpa had planned a third ascent of Everest this season, which began in April and ends in the first week of June. Such a feat has never been attempted in the history of Everest climbs, mountaineering experts say.
Kami Rita Sherpa’s expedition agency said he wanted to reach 30 climbs before retiring. Pasang Dawa Sherpa’s agency said he was determined to match and eventually break Kami Rita Sherpa’s record. Neither man was available for comment.
Not everyone in the mountaineering world welcomed the friendly. Ang Tshering Sherpa, a former head of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said any competition on the mountain could turn deadly.
“Competition in the mountains poses a risk to life,” he said. “Unhealthy competition must be discouraged.”
Sherpas, the backbone of Nepal’s climbing industry, have suffered nearly a third of the 315 recorded deaths on Everest over the past century, according to the Himalayan Database, a body that records mountaineers.
Since Pasang Dawa Sherpa first climbed Everest in 1998, he has climbed the mountain sometimes twice a year, and has made at least one ascent almost every year, with a break due to the pandemic and an earthquake in Nepal.
So is Kami Rita Sherpa.
Their competition reflects the limited resources of the climbing industry. A freight forwarding company with a record-holding Sherpa can attract more customers. Shipping agencies offer Sherpas money – exact amounts are unclear – for each record-breaking summit.
This year, Nepal’s tourism department issued 478 permits to foreign climbers for Everest, and about 900 people were expected, including Sherpas. So far this season, 10 climbers, including four Nepalese guides, have died on Everest.
The Sherpas are the movers of any Everest conquest. They mend ropes, mend ladders, and transport food and equipment.
Most, including Pasang Dawa Sherpa and Kami Rita Sherpa, grow up around Everest, their dreams of a better life depending on the money they make when they help a foreigner climb Everest. But many leave the profession because of the dangers, modest compensation and limited safety net.
