Celebrated Everest guide Phurba Tenjing Sherpa fears way of life under threat
The veteran guide has scaled Earth’s highest peak 18 times, but worries global warming and societal change could put an end to climbing
Phurba Tenjing Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest 18 times over the years but fears he may now be a dying breed, with climate change one day making it unscalable and societal change leaving fewer willing to risk its dangers.
The 37-year-old, who runs his own business guiding people up and down Earth’s highest peak, said one of the biggest challenge his industry faced was the fact “the Sherpa community is no longer climbing”.
While the veteran guide said he had never been to school, he believed the younger generation from Nepal had greater opportunities available when it came to education and making a living.
“Young Sherpas are no longer going to the mountains because they are well educated,” Phurba said. “They have now moved to America, Canada, Australia and Europe because the mountains are quite dangerous and the earnings are low. In the future, a shortage of sherpas is going to be a big problem.”