Catherwood LibraryILR School

Last Friday at least 13 Sherpas were killed in an avalanche as they attempted to carry supplies for Western climbers up the side of the Mount Everest. The deaths were the last straw in a debate that had been brewing among the Nepal natives renowned for their mountaineering skills. For years the Sherpas have witnessed the expansion of the mountain as a tourist attraction, but also the declining technical expertise and lack of experience of tourists who seek to summit the world?s highest peak. The tourists typically pay very well to have Sherpas accompany them and ferry supplies to each base camp, but with less experienced and skilled mountaineers, the Sherpas work has grown more dangerous every year. Tales of customers who demand to reach the summit at all costs have grown more commonplace. The local economy has grown significantly and the Sherpas who assist climbers or carry their supplies are paid very well, but the deaths last week were another sign that the Sherpas may need to have more ability to impose their judgment on the expeditions that they undertake and so more than two-thirds of Sherpas working in jobs related to climbing the mountain have gone on strike. A list of demands was presented to Nepal?s Ministry of Tourism which agreed to some of the conditions on Tuesday such as increasing the insurance rates from about $410 to $15,000 and creating a memorial and a fund for the families of the lost guides, but has yet to respond to other demands.