Sherpa: Stories of Life and Death from the Forgotten Guardians of Everest

by Ankit Babu Adhikari, Pradeep Bashyal

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 BOARDMAN TASKER AWARD FOR MOUNTAIN LITERATURE

Changing the narrative of mountaineering books, Sherpa focuses on the people who live and work on the roof of the world.

Amid all the foreign adventurers that throng to Nepal to scale the world's highest peaks there exists a small community of mountain people at the foothills of Himalayas. Sherpa tells their story. It's the story of endeavour and survival at the roof of the world. It dives into their culture and tells of their existence at the edge of life and death. Written by Ankit Babu Adhikari - a writer, social science researcher and musician - and Pradeep Bashyal - a journalist with the BBC based in Nepal - Sherpa traces their story pre- and post-mountaineering revolution, their evolution as climbing crusaders with previously unpublished stories from the most notable and incredible Sherpas of the last 50 years.

This is the story of the Sherpas.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mountaineering, History, Biography

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2022

About the author

Ankit Babu Adhikari is the author of 'SHERPA: Stories of Life and Death from the Forgotten Guardians of Everest.' SHERPA is also available in Italian and Czech language editions. The book published in 2022 from Octopus Publishing, UK (a Hachette imprint) was shortlisted for 2023 'Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature.' In 2025, the Government of Nepal awarded Ankit with prestigious 'Tenzing-Hillary Award' for his contribution to mountain literature. In 2024, Nepal's leading media outlet Online Khabar recognized Ankit in its 40under40 list (40 influential youths under the age of 40).

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Subtitled: Stories of Life and Death from the Forgotten Guardians of Everest this is a compilation of stories about the known yet unknown Sherpas of Nepal and Tibet. It describes individuals and family backgrounds of those who lead the way every year for climbers intend on summiting Mount Everest. Written by Pradeep Bashyal a bilingual BBC World Service correspondent and Ankit Babu Adhikari a writer, social science researcher and a musician both of whom are based in Kathmandu, the book shares stories that have never before been told from ‘the Top of the World’.

It describes the lead up to the first climb in 1953 and climbs undertaken thereafter. In the early days, for pennies in pay, the Sherpas would act as porters, climb and work on the mountain trying to ensure the safety of the climbers. Especially evocative are the tales of the climb from Base Camp 4, in the Death Zone, up to the summit. This is where you cannot survive without oxygen so between that and changing weather patterns the plan is always to make the final climb at night to arrive early morning. However with modern day ‘queues’ of climbers this can be very dangerous.

Very well researched and written this book brings to life the dangerous work that is undertaken by the Sherpas, especially when fatalities occur and it’s particularly heartbreaking that many bodies still remain on the mountain. For such a small community Sherpas have provided an incredible contribution to mountaineering history but have also suffered great losses of life. An excellent, exciting and emotional read

[Harry Tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a while to read this one. Focus more on the lives of Sherpas rather the mountain itself which is more what I was after, but clues in the name and that’s a me problem. Hard to keep track of all the different people but that’s also a me problem. Interesting read

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating series of chapters focussing on a different Sherpa and their experience of how they came to the mountains and in many cases what they did after.

It is easy to think of Sherpas as natural passionate climbers, but this book reminds you it is often just a means of earning a living in some of the most dangerous environments in earth.

The authors focus on the development and achievements of the individual Sherpas and their communities, the story’s are not hung on the efforts of western climbers which makes them all the richer.

A mixture of tragedy, inspiration and achievement. Recommended to anyone interested in the wider climbing community, and these essential actors in achieving the most difficult summits.

[Bethany Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. I was hoping it would be more about the Sherpa’s lives and adventures climbing Everest but it was actually mostly about their lives in general. We got a lot of descriptions of how many times people moved house, or between India and Nepal, and their wives and kids, and not as much about their lives on Everest.

Maybe I misunderstood what the book was, but I was a little disappointed.

[Amanda Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taken from my blog entry written in February 2024:

Several things about me led me to purchase [this book]. One, the anthropologist in me loves stories about individual people, their cultures, and their communities. Two, I am especially fascinated by people who live in isolated or "extreme" places. And three, I have a soft spot for tour guides and people who work in tourism. (I have zero interest in actually doing extreme mountaineering, as I have mentioned in this blog entry.) So I read it throughout our trip in India and when we got back to the Philippines. I won't spend too much time talking about the details, but this interview with the two Nepali authors gives a pretty good "too long didn't read" version of it.

I loved the book. Like I do with most things, I have a lot of thoughts about it, but I love all the effort that went into telling the story of so many individual Sherpas (which is the name of the indigenous group) while also discussing the outside historical and political forces that led to them being the legendary guides of Himalayan expeditions. From a labor perspective, I really appreciated learning about how Sherpas do the extremely difficult work of not only getting up Everest themselves, but also taking care of their clients and being in charge of ensuring the highest standards of safety. They are the ones who risk their lives to go to the mountain before the official start of the climbing season each year and affix ropes into the side of the mountain and bridge gaps across deadly crevasses, just so that rich foreigners can go and say they climbed Mount Everest. They are the ones who cook at the camps and provide sustenance for their clients, and they are also the ones who have helped to clean up the mountain.

The authors took great care to make sure that they represented the Sherpas in a culturally sensitive manner, which as an anthropologist I applaud them for. They also did not shy away from talking about the brutalities of managing the extreme mountaineering industry in the Himalayas. At the very beginning, the authors described the avalanche in 2014 that killed sixteen Sherpas and no foreigners. I also appreciate how they chose to end the book, with a chapter called "Descent." The authors compared two attempts to bring down the bodies of people who perished in Everest's "death zone," where no helicopters can pick up bodies and groups of people have to carry them down. One attempt involved a wealthy Indian businessman and a team of five Sherpas, who carried the body down to where it could be picked up. The chapter described the grueling experience that the Sherpas went through and the risk that they took, and how they were (rightfully) motivated by the handsome sum of money they would receive at the end. The other involved a Sherpa who died while on an expedition, leaving his wife behind. She could not afford to bring him down; though she had raised money, the 2015 earthquake shattered any plans of getting a team together to pick up his body. The chapter ended with this quote from her:

"I have lost all hope of his descent. If it all possible, I will go there myself someday, meet him by the snow under the top of the world, and ask him why it is all so ugly after all."

While it's wonderful that some Sherpas have made names for themselves and been able to explore the world (a team even made it to the South Pole), it is still devastating to think of the human cost. At this point, the Sherpas rely on the tourism money for their livelihoods, which has enabled their communities to flourish and their children to seek opportunities that older generations never had. I guess I bring this up because it made me reflect on the wider tourism industry in general and, again, the desire to "conquer" and challenge Mother Nature. It is also a commentary on whose stories get to be told and whose are ignored. While I haven't read any other mountaineering accounts, I imagine that they glorify whatever white or wealthy individual they center, and make only passing reference to the people who make it possible in the first place. Decolonizing travel discourse is so important, since so much of tourism and travel is still inaccessible to the people who make it happen. I am glad to have read this book and learned about the Sherpas, and I hope you join me as I continue to think about how cultural exchange can be made more equitable for all people involved.

[Krish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as amazing as I’d hoped it would be, still worth reading though. It was an incredibly well researched and personal look into Sherpas’ lives and what makes them tick, and gives you a deep reverence for their livelihoods. I was hoping for a few more climbing stories, although there were some, but it actually leaned slightly more towards the Sherpas’ personal lives instead. There was also no real flow within the book, although I appreciate how difficult that would be while trying to interweave all the different tales. Although each individual was described immaculately and the guide at the back helped, it was still difficult to track who was who, particularly as some Sherpas kept cropping up in different chapters. Full appreciation for the effort and work the authors put in. Just made me want to climb Everest even more!

[Sue Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this. Having travelled in Nepal many times this brought back so many great memories of places I’ve been, and the genuine hospitality of the Nepali people.
The authors take you deep into the lives and homes of Sherpas and their families, telling their stories of hardship, challenge, success, and loss with great sensitivity and just the right touch of occasional humour.
I really appreciated the way the authors have cross-referenced individuals, locations and events across chapters, and the comprehensive index.
I’ll definitely be reading this again.

[Nischal Dhungel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sherpa” is a book written by home-grown Nepali authors who have brilliantly portrayed the struggle, staggering experiences, and achievements of Sherpa mountaineering communities (pre and post-mountaineering evolution). Frankly, I felt on top of the world reading real-life stories of Sherpa as they play different roles as porters, weather experts, technicians, medics, climbers, etc., leading the best expedition companies in the world. Most importantly, the book showcases the tremendous role played by female Sherpa living in harsh conditions by taking care of family and handling their hotels; it’s not only that some go beyond social norms and traditions to achieve the feat one could never imagine. Besides these, as mountaineering has been booming like never before, authors highlight the present challenges such as melting glaciers, dead bodies, and litter lying in one of the majestic places on the earth. After reading the book, I do not doubt that for Sherpa, Climbing is in their blood as they are superheroes or X-Men of the Mountains. This book doesn’t only glorify Sherpa’s summits feat but also provides the back story on what goes behind achieving the most remarkable feat in the world. If you are interested in reading first-hand Sherpa stories that feel like Sherpa themselves sharing their stories, then this is definitely a highly recommended read.

[Abbie Toria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherpa is one of my favourite non-fiction books this year. For me, this is how history should be told. A fascinating exploration of the culture, history, mountaineering achievements and tragedies of the Sherpa people of the Himalayas. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and how it placed their human stories at the heart of the book.

In 1953 Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary became the first to summit Everest. It was the first expedition where a Sherpa was considered as an equal climber and not only viewed as a skilled porter, and shot them both to fame. Since then the mountaineering tourism industry has boomed, providing an economic lifeline to the Sherpa people; employment which is an ever tipping balance between opportunity and danger. I was overwhelmed by the hardships faced, their endurance and their strength and kindness of community.

I enjoyed experiencing Sherpas' mountaineering record-breaking, entrepreneurship and investment in their communities. It was also amazing to become aware of the realities of the challenge that is Everest to climbers and how it takes months to reach the point of "going for the summit."

I sincerely hope there will be many more books like this out there.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW WOW WOW What an incredible book, I never knew much about Sherpa's but after reading this book I have so much respect for them. It is such an incredible journey that you go on when reading this book, I really feel for these men and women who are trying to provide for their families but are risking their lives every time they make the journey not just up Everest but down too. I found this book a really interesting and knowledgeable read and the pictures bring the stories of these men and women so much more to life, every single one of them are incredible and I am so in awe of them and what they do on a daily basis. After reading this book it is not something I would ever want to do because of some of the sights that you see but anyone that does it and comes back safe is incredible. Sherpas are unsung heroes in my book.

[Pauline Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights the role the locals play in mountain climbing. Doesn’t sugar coat the position of wealthy “climbers” including references to sherpas carrying chairs and wine for up-market dinners.

[Alison Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherpa: Stories of Life and Death from the Forgotten Guardians of Everest is more than a compelling narrative; it’s a much-needed revelation about the often-overlooked individuals whose strength, resilience, and skill have underpinned the history of Himalayan mountaineering. Written by Nepali authors Ankit Babu Adhikari and Pradeep Bashyal, this collection offers readers an intimate and enlightening glimpse into the lives of Sherpas, whose courage, determination, and profound connection to the mountains have enabled countless ascents of Everest yet whose stories remain largely untold.

The book expertly balances historical context with personal narratives, capturing not just the physical rigour and dangers faced by Sherpas but also their emotional and cultural journeys. This is storytelling with a purpose. By intertwining the harrowing accounts of survival and loss with moments of triumph and transcendence, the authors honour the Sherpas' lives while exploring broader themes of sacrifice, heritage, and respect for the natural world. The book sheds light on the multifaceted aspects of their existence, from their spiritual connection with the mountain to the economic realities that draw them into the high-stakes world of mountaineering.

The authors' nuanced approach avoids romanticising the Sherpas as mere heroes or mythic figures; instead, they present them as deeply human individuals with families, ambitions, and vulnerabilities. Adhikari and Bashyal bring first-hand insights into the Sherpa perspective, making this a uniquely authentic read, and they enrich the storytelling with vivid descriptions and cultural details that elevate the book beyond a mere compilation of climbing anecdotes.

Through Sherpa, readers are invited to reflect on the complex and often imbalanced relationship between Western adventurers and the indigenous guardians of the Himalayas. The book offers a necessary recalibration of our understanding of Everest, shifting the focus from foreign climbers who often capture the spotlight to those who have lived in its shadow for generations. This perspective reminds readers of the strength, pride, and bravery of Sherpas, challenging us to re-examine our ideas of adventure, survival, and human connection to nature.

Sherpa is an enlightening, moving, and respectful homage to the true custodians of Everest. Adhikari and Bashyal have given the Sherpa people a voice that resonates powerfully, illuminating the lives of those who, for too long, have been invisible in the annals of mountaineering history. This book is an essential read for anyone who seeks a fuller understanding of the human experience behind one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.

[Fionnuala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will disclaim right off the bat that this book is written by authors writing in a second language. This is an impressive feat, and I don't wish to discard that. However, even after serious editing, English second language (ESL) writing can be clunky and difficult to follow, and for native speakers it can often contain a lot of unintuitive phrasing that is jarring or, at worst, unclear.

For that reason, I didn't vibe too well with the writing style -- I understand the reasons, but I do think the editing could be better. I do on occasion work as an ESL editor, and my sole job is to take highly technical non-fiction written by people with English as a second, third, or even fourth language, and make it intuitive to native speakers. It is a lot of work, most of it finicky and pedantic, and absolutely only possible for a native speaker -- many things are less solid rules and more what feels right, like how you can have a big fat grey walrus but not a grey fat big walrus. But it is possible; all this is to say that I think this book could have benefited greatly from an editor scanning simply for intuitive phrasing and tone. Without this final polish, the book's tone is inappropriate, often reading as rather juvenile. I will accept that it's possible formality styles are different in different styles of English, but as a book written in English for native English speakers it was lacking in this respect.

Having said that, the information and stories contained were brilliant. This book is an excellent look at the Sherpas, telling their stories and histories in their own words. As well as their relationships with the mountains in their care, the book includes many details I've wished to read about in the other mountaineering books I've read: culture, religious practices, naming conventions, traditions, life when not climbing mountains, and so on. The book is deeply respectful to these people and celebrates their achievements enthusiastically, while still portraying them as people and not some superhuman race -- something that, while meant well, can come off as inappropriate in some other books I've read. The stories cover a wide variety of backgrounds and motivations, all of which are told in equal detail with journalistic integrity and genuine curiosity. The authors' passion for their subject is also abundantly clear, as is their empathy and dedication to telling these stories.

The content of the book is well worth reading; while the language can be jarring, it doesn't overly interrupt or impede the incredible research evident here, but it is unfortunately noticeable. The authors should be absolutely commended; they have done brilliantly. I just wish a few more editors had gone over the final product and taken it to that next level.

[Ilana · Rating 4 out of 5]

´On the way to the summit, sherpas are the climbers´ guardians, in charge of time and space´.
Mountain Everest is an industry worth many millions of dollars and sherpa community plays an important role not only from the social and economic point of view, but as witnesses and factors of the continous changes. In Sherpa, writer and researcher Ankit Babu Adhikari and the Katmandu-based BBC correspondent Pradeep Bashyal are documenting the background and life stories surrounding the mountain based on historical information and interviews.

Although the book is relatively short, it offers an unique glimpse into the activities, histories, heroes and victims of the Everest. It maps various trekking peaks and invites the reader to have a look at the everyday (busy) life at the Everest Base Camp, the tent-city standing on a glacier. Even among people who are fascinated about mountaineering, such information are rare gems and rarely understood in the right perspective - including by covering the anthropological takes on sherpa community, a Himalayan ethnic group of Nepal counting around 150,000, many involved in the ´Everest business´ from more than a generation.

Sherpa. Stories from Life and Death from the Forgotten Guardians of Everest is a book of interest for both anthropologists and mountain lovers, as well as anyone curious to read a well-written book about a fascinating mountain and its complex history.

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of a blog tour, but the opinions are, as usual, my own

[Nad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling collection of individual stories. The primary emphasis is on the Sherpa pioneers who have achieved multiple records in the field of mountaineering, something which has evoked international interest. There is brief information about their heritage, history, struggles, and cultural sensibilities, enough to maintain the Gen Z reader's short attention span. The grit and resilience of Kushang Dorjee Sherpa and the tragic loss of Doma's husband, whose body is still in the 'Death Zone' of Everest, point towards the far extreme and the inherent duality in the world of mountaineering. Life and death are dependent on fate, skill, or does Everest decide for herself? The writing did seem drab and unimaginative in some places, yet the stories are worth it. This was gifted to me by a Sherpa friend on a mountaineering expedition. He exemplifies the modern Sherpa, someone who is lost in the mundane, concrete jungle we live in and craves closeness to nature. Free spirited, kind and a fucking beast in the mountain. Respect to the Sherpa community, and thanks to the authors for sharing these stories with the world.

[Ruth Siddall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The writing is a bit clunky in places, but it is an eye-opening account of the astonishing mountaineering skills of a group of Sherpa families - something that is not well reported in the general mountaineering literature. This book recounts the role of Sherpas, predominantly in climbing Everest, and shows how expeditions could not happen without them. With several Sherpa mountaineers having over 20 Everest summits under their belt, this book sometimes makes climbing the mountain sound almost effortless. There are Sherpa teenagers who have summitted on their first ever trip to the mountain. However these incredible triumphs are countered by the tragic loss of Sherpa mountaineers in the death zone and during avalanches and how these tragedies have affected their families, many of whom live close to the mountain. It has really made me want to visit Nepal!

[Anuja Venkatachalam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time I did so much note-taking while reading a book! This is a detailed account of the evolution of a mountain community in Nepal. It is extremely personal, and yet sheds light on important issues such as climate change and it's potential disruption to a community whose livelihood depends on the mountains. Kudos to the authors. It is evident that a lot of work went into citations, interviews, and identifying sherpas from varied backgrounds and experiences, so as not to paint the community as homogenous.

[Lowarn Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into the lives of Sherpas, both on and off the mountains. It's a topic I went in knowing basically nothing about - I didn't even know that Sherpas were an ethnic group and not just the term for the people who worked as porters and support on Everest, which feels a little embarrassing to admit now - and so learning about them in such a personal, human kind of way was wonderful.

Although I think it shows at times that English is not the authors' first language, it does not detract from the readability of the book, in my opinion.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book, going into real detail about the advent of Sherpas as mountain guides, it is a really in-depth anthropologic look at an incredible people, told through the numerous stories of extraordinary people. The authors have gone to great lengths in research of this book and retell their findings in an easy to read and engaging fashion. It's a great contribution to mountain writing and an important one too - because of the always under-recognised feats of the Sherpa people.

[axi ♡]

this was so insanely interesting I cannot believe how physically and emotionally exhausting some of the sherpa's lives are. i've never known anything about everest save for it's the tallest mountain in the world, so learning how there's frozen bodies used as guideposts and sherpas whose whole life is going miles to take mountaineers poop off the mountain was so wild

[Nidhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My respect and love for Sherpa community has soared to another level. Loved everything about this book -research & the efforts taken to interview Sherpas & their families in the remote Himalayan villages is no easy task. Great book to get introduced to the humble world of Sherpas and their incredible feats.

[Rebecca Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderfully insightful accounts of individual sherpas who should be praised for their skills and selflessness within the mountains.

However, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the bitty-ness of the book as a whole and I think there would have been a better way to order/interlink the stories to create a better flow in the ‘narrative’.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bit of an awkward read, which I blame on the editing not the writing as neither author has English as a first language. So yeah, some typos and facts that needed fixing and were missed by the proofreaders and editors.
Writing aside it was an interesting and well researched look into the lives of a variety of Sherpas, from their perspective.

[Julian Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening, illuminating and absolutely fascinating - exploring what drives this rare group of people to achieve such greatness, yet embody total modesty about their achievements.

Really well told, I was instantly engaged in each story the authors tell and I got a real insight into these heroic lives.

Enthralling and well written, this is a really enjoyable read.

[Sebastiaan Vanbesien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book. It was fascinating to learn more about the Sherpa as a people, their culture and the pioniering role they played in the development of climbing world’s highest peaks. A must read for everyone into mountain climbing and/or Sherpa culture!!

[Lin Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read language wise, but an amazing story. It brought the Everest challenge into sharp focus and debunked the romance of it. A very realistic and yet life affirming experience of a people that I have a great deal of respect for.

[Kumar Paudel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An illuminating new book shines a light on the amazing Sherpas who are the backbone of the Himalayan mountaineering industry. A beautiful page-turner, a masterpiece that won't let you down, enriching the heads and homes of the Sherpas.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read!

[Thomas Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of very interesting stories of Sherpa climbers and their Everest experiences.

[Georgina Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Absolutely fascinating look at another world 🏔️