Posted By: Lisa Brimhall
Posted On: September 15, 2018
Sherpa was filmed in 2014 and released in 2015. It documents the tragic events that occurred on the mountain on April 18, 2014 where 16 Sherpa died in one day. It also highlights the imbalanced relationship between the Sherpa and the climbers who hire them. The movie is told from the Sherpa viewpoint. Sherpa are an ethnic group from most mountainous regions of the Himalaya (Nepal, Tibet, India). The Sherpa documented in this movie are Nepalese guides. The Sherpa have always believed Chomolungma (Everest) to be a sacred and holy site rather than a mountain to be conquered. Everest has gotten more and more commercialized every year with up to 36 expeditions in a season trying to climb the mountain. Sherpa are genetically more fit to climb Everest and have been employed to carry 1000’s of pounds of gear and equipment up the mountain to not only make the route safer but more comfortable for the foreigners who pay up to $100,000 for the chance to stand on top of her. Sherpas have always taken a disproportionate risk on the mountain and have never been given the acknowledgement they deserve for their efforts in helping people reach the summit. For example, they travel through the Khumbu Icefall 20-30 times in a season while an expedition climber will usually go through it twice. The Khumbu Icefall is one of the most dangerous areas of the Everest route due to its geography and location. It is part of a moving glacier and its topography is constantly changing. The route used to go up may not be the same route used when descending. Most deaths in the Icefall result from falling into crevasses, Icefall collapses and avalanches into the Icefall. The 16 deaths that occurred in 2014 were the result of an avalanche. After this unfortunate event, the Sherpa refused to climb the mountain. They banded together in their grief and anger and boycotted climbing the mountain. The climbing season came to an abrupt end bringing worldwide attention to the Sherpa and causing many to re-evaluate their role as climber, guide, and business owner. The movie also makes mention of climate change and its impact on the changing landscape of Everest. I would recommend watching the movie to anyone interested in mountain climbing, the Himalayas, the Sherpa and Nepalese people. The movie is 96 minutes long and does include some profanity. There are a few “f” bombs so this isn’t a movie for middle school. I would be okay showing this to upper classmen in high school in my World Geography class but would caution my students about the language. In addition, I gave 4 stars for the film because the subtitles are difficult to read and often blend in with the film (white on white doesn't work very well...).