For 61-year-old Dawa Sherpa, the trails of the Everest region are more than just footpaths; they are a testament to a life spent in the shadow of the world's highest peak. Over the past 46 years, he has traversed these routes countless times, summiting Mount Everest eight times as a high-altitude guide. Yet, the same paths he once walked with dozens of fellow young Sherpas now feel quieter—the next generation is clearly absent.
“Namche was a different place back then,” Dawa recalls. “There were no modern buildings. Just old homes and hundreds of tents during the trekking season. Young Sherpas would be everywhere—some carrying loads, others, who could speak English, guiding foreign trekkers.”
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Back in the day, shelters were scarce. Dawa remembers spending nights in caves and foraging for firewood to cook meals. “Wherever we found wood, we carried it. Wherever we found a cave, we stayed the night and cooked over a fire. Sherpas were everywhere in those mountains. Today, you hardly see them.”
As Dawa and other veteran guides grow older, a pressing question emerges: Who will guide the next generation of climbers? The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) warns of a potential shortage of Sherpa guides in the years ahead.
According to NMA spokesperson Dipendra Gurung, participation from young Sherpas is in steady decline. “While experienced Sherpas from Solukhumbu still dominate the industry, we are now seeing an increasing number of guides coming from districts like Sankhuwasabha, Khotang, and Okhaldhunga,” he said.
Although the Sherpas have long been synonymous with Himalayan mountaineering, their grip on the profession is loosening. “Interest from other communities is rising,” Gurung added. “If tourist numbers increase, the demand for guides may soon outpace supply.”
Veteran Sherpa and cultural researcher Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa, 64, sees the shift as part of a larger generational transition. “The young don’t have the same relationship with the mountains as we did. Many of them are pursuing higher education in Kathmandu or abroad and aren’t returning to follow in their parents’ footsteps.”
Still, Lhakpa doesn’t view the decline as a crisis. As the operator of the Sherpa Museum in Namche Bazaar, he is more concerned about climate change than career change. “If Everest keeps losing snow every year and turns to bare rock, who will want to climb it anyway?”
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Others are less optimistic. Nima Sherpa, 51, another eight-time Everest summiteer, worries that the high risks associated with mountaineering are pushing younger Sherpas away. “Our generation is still here, still guiding. But the younger, educated Sherpas don’t see this as a future.”
Tarke Sherpa, 58, from Dudh Koshi Rural Municipality–9, has also summited Everest eight times. He now leads expeditions to less daunting peaks below 8,000 meters. According to him, the younger generation is looking elsewhere. “Many are going into business or moving abroad to study—to the US, Canada, Japan. This job doesn’t offer financial stability or proper government support. That’s why the youth are moving on.”
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For Ongchu Sherpa of Namche Bazaar, the change is stark. “In the past, every Sherpa son—except the youngest—was expected to climb Everest. I was the only son in my family, so I worked as a trekking guide, but never climbed,” he said. “Now, villages are emptying. Most young people are overseas. Few from Namche are taking up climbing.”
After Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary successfully summited Everest on May 29, 1953, the region opened up to the world. Tourists flocked to the mountains, and Sherpa families found new livelihoods as porters and guides.
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Today, the path to Everest Base Camp remains a magnet for trekkers from around the globe. Flights from Kathmandu and Ramechhap land daily in Lukla. From there, trekkers walk through well-serviced trails dotted with modern lodges. Supplies arrive by mule or porter from Surke, now accessible by road.
Despite these developments, the traditional Sherpa identity as high-altitude climbers and guides, is changing. With global opportunities within reach and mounting risks in the profession, many Sherpa youths are charting a different course.
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And while the mountains still stand tall, the people who once led the way up are slowly stepping back—leaving open the question of who will take their place.
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