One-Third of Everest Deaths Are Sherpa: The Invisible Workforce Paying the Highest Price — Why Do They Risk Their Lives to Guide Wealthy Tourists to the Summit?
The world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, has long captured the imagination of adventurers and thrill-seekers. But behind every successful summit stands an invisible army of Sherpa guides and porters who make the climb possible — and who pay the highest price for it. According to the Himalayan Database, approximately one-third of all deaths on Everest are Sherpas . In the past decade alone, 28 Sherpas have perished on the mountain’s slopes .
This documentary examines the stark reality behind the glamour of Everest expeditions: why Sherpas continue to risk their lives for the dreams of wealthy climbers, the systemic inequalities that shape their working conditions, and the complex economic and cultural forces that compel them to return to the mountain year after year.
1. The Sherpa Legacy: From Traders to the “Unsung Heroes” of Everest
The term “Sherpa” refers both to an ethnic group originally from eastern Tibet who settled in Nepal’s highlands centuries ago, and to the profession of high-altitude guide and porter . For generations, Sherpas have served as the backbone of Himalayan expeditions. Their unparalleled endurance, intimate knowledge of the terrain, and physiological adaptation to high altitude have made them indispensable to foreign climbers .
The Sherpa role in mountaineering began with British expeditions in the early 20th century. When the first serious summit attempt was made in 1922, seven Sherpas died in an avalanche — foreshadowing a tragic pattern that would repeat for decades . The most famous Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, summited with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, yet his contribution was long overshadowed. As one climber notes, many books about Everest “might see a mention of five Sherpas” . Even today, Sherpas are often depicted as “superhuman,” a portrayal that minimizes their humanity and the real dangers they face .
2. Why They Climb: Economic Necessity in One of Nepal’s Poorest Regions
The answer to why Sherpas risk their lives is rooted in stark economic reality. For many, mountaineering is not a choice but the only viable livelihood. “We don’t go to the mountains because we want to, it is our only option for work,” one Sherpa guide explained .
The financial rewards, while modest by Western standards, are life-changing in Nepal. A Sherpa guide typically earns between $4,000 and $10,000 per season — enough to sustain a family for an entire year . By comparison, Western guides can earn around $50,000 . Foreign climbers pay between $30,000 and $120,000 for a guided expedition, yet the Sherpas who do the most dangerous work receive a fraction of that revenue .
As one veteran guide put it, “Everest is a means to an end” . The goal for many is to earn enough to leave the mountain and invest in a business, send children to private school, and create opportunities for the next generation . Tenzing Norgay himself told his sons that he climbed so that they would not have to — yet the economic lure of Everest continues to draw Sherpas back .
3. The Terrible Price: Avalanches, Icefalls, and the “Death Zone”
The risks Sherpas face are disproportionate to their foreign clients. While a typical climber may make one trip through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall or to the South Col, Sherpas make as many as eight trips carrying supplies . They navigate shifting towers of ice, fix ropes, set up camps, and carry heavy loads — all while bearing the responsibility for their clients’ safety .
The leading causes of death among Sherpas differ starkly from foreign climbers. While foreign climbers most often die from falls, altitude sickness, or exposure, Sherpas are far more likely to die in avalanches and icefall collapses — natural disasters that strike when they spend extended time in the most dangerous zones . Major tragedies have struck repeatedly: 16 Sherpas died in an avalanche in 2014, then the deadliest single day on Everest; the 2015 earthquake killed at least seven more .
The 2024 season brought a particularly poignant case. Nawang Sherpa, a 44-year-old guide, died on the mountain after his client, a Kenyan climber, refused supplemental oxygen in the death zone. Despite Nawang’s pleas and his professional obligation to assist, the client insisted on a “pure summit” without oxygen. Both men perished . As one fellow guide observed, the tragedy was not just that Nawang died, “but that dying was the most professionally appropriate choice he could make” . Sherpas are caught between traditional values of service, economic pressure, and the life-or-death realities of extreme altitude — with client satisfaction frequently prioritized over personal safety .
4. An Unequal Balance of Power: Recognition, Insurance, and Justice
Beyond the physical dangers, Sherpas face systemic inequality. When a Western climber dies on Everest, the international community rallies, and fundraising efforts quickly materialize. But “for the Nepali climber, it’s not recognized in that same sense,” notes one mountaineer . The contributions of Sherpas are often reduced to footnotes in the stories of foreign summiteers .
The economic imbalance is stark. Until recently, the Nepalese government required climbing outfitters to insure staff for only $5,000, later raised to $11,000 — a fraction of the cost of a single expedition . Critics argue that a $50,000 insurance policy would add only a tiny fraction to expedition costs but could dramatically improve protections for those who take the greatest risks .
The power dynamic on the mountain is similarly unequal. Sherpas often cannot refuse a client’s dangerous requests for fear of losing future work in a reputation-based industry. “When your entire family depends on your work as a mountain guide, walking away becomes nearly impossible,” noted the president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association . This structure places Sherpas in an impossible position: their professional obligation to serve can become a death sentence.
5. The Legacy and the Future: Can the Industry Change?
The story of Sherpas on Everest is one of resilience, sacrifice, and systemic exploitation. Despite the dangers, a new generation of Sherpas is beginning to tell their side of the story and demand change . Organizations like the Khumbu Climbing Center provide specialized technical training to improve safety . Sherpa-owned companies are increasingly prominent — one family-run firm now manages nearly a third of all Everest expeditions .
Yet the fundamental dynamics of the industry remain unchanged. As long as the economic alternatives in the Khumbu region are limited, Sherpas will continue to risk their lives . As one guide put it, “The goddess who resides on Everest… provides bounty in the form of income from the pockets of mountaineers” — but for many Sherpas, that bounty comes at a cost too high to be measured in dollars .
Primary Sources:
Himalayan Database, expedition archives and mortality records (1921–2024)
BBC Future: “The Everest climbs putting Sherpas in danger” (2025)
CBS News: “Everest’s Sherpas, often with little recognition, risk their lives to help others reach the summit” (2025)
National Geographic: “Why Sherpas Will Still Climb Everest, Even After Deadly Avalanche” (2014)
The Borgen Project: “Guardians of Everest: Poverty Amongst Sherpas” (2024)
Time Magazine: “High Risk” (2014)
Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology & Anthropology: “Transformation of Sherpa Livelihoods” (2025)