The Sherpa are the Himalayan people traditionally associated with high-altitude guiding and mountaineering in Nepal.
Sherpa communities originated in the eastern Tibetan Plateau and migrated south into the Himalayan region several centuries ago. Many live in Nepal’s Solukhumbu district, including the Khumbu valleys around Mount Everest.
Sherpa expertise comes from generations of living and working at high altitude, but the word is often used incorrectly as a generic synonym for any mountain porter. Sherpa is an ethnic identity as well as a language and cultural tradition. Many Sherpa mountaineers have achieved major climbing records, including Tenzing Norgay and Kami Rita Sherpa.