Sherpas on my mind

So far I haven't really discussed any social or political issues in this blog.  But after two days of driving across Minnesota to North Dakota and back, we've listened to a lot of Minnesota Public Radio and several times we heard more about the tragedy of the 13 sherpas being caught in the avalanche on Mount Everest.

It's always fascinated me to read about the climbers who have attempted to climb Mount Everest, what all they did to train to make the climb, their process of acclimatization at the different base camp levels to get used to the ever-decreasing amounts of oxygen, their obsession with getting to the top, but what was most interesting to me were the sherpas and the apparent (but maybe not actual) ease in which they made their multiple climbs to the top in order for all the guest climbers to be successful.

I've read several books about Tenzing Norgay, as well as more recent accounts of Everest attempts, both successful and not.  I think it attracts me because it involves just about everything that feeds my fears--heights in general, climbing up high ladders and ice walls while hanging on ropes (set up for them there by the sherpas), altitude sickness (I get headaches and start gasping for breath going to Estes Park, Colorado!), and just being REALLY cold.

So, it appears that a majority of the sherpas are considering a work stoppage which would put a kibash on all those people who right this moment are already there to climb or are planning to make the climb in May, the prime time for climbing Mount Everest. But as one of my Facebook friends, Karen Thomas, posted today:

"Sherpas ain't happy,

Ain't nobody happy."

But I say, good!  Let the sherpas rest, let the mountain rest, since I also hear/read that it's getting to be an ecological nightmare with all of the trash left behind, and unfortunately also the bodies of climbers who didn't make it.  Maybe there SHOULD be places on our planet that we can't get to without putting other people in danger.  Of course the economy of Nepal and the families of sherpas depend on the income that comes from those climbers.  But there's something just not right about that arrangement and maybe this tragedy can shed some light on the whole situation so changes can be made for the future.

End of rant.