Apa Sherpa (born c. 1960, Thami, Nepal) is a Nepali mountaineer and guide who set a record for most ascents of Mount Everest (21) that was later equaled by other Sherpas before being surpassed in 2018.
Apa was raised in the small village of Thami (or Thame) in the Khumbu valley of far northern Nepal, just west of Mount Everest. The area is well known for its Sherpas (ethnic Nepalis, Tibetans, and Sikkimese who serve as porters and guides on expeditions in the Himalayas), including famed climber Tenzing Norgay who once lived in Thami.
Mount Everest is synonymous with the pursuit of adventure, the daring human spirit, and achieving the seemingly impossible. But Apa Sherpa, a legendary Nepali mountaineer, offers a sobering perspective that forces us to rethink the mythical allure surrounding the world’s highest peak
“That’s three more, three more who died just this morning,” Apa laments, referring to three Sherpa fatalities during a recent Everest ascent. For indigenous Sherpas like Apa, climbing Everest isn’t about adventure or records – it’s about economic necessity and survival.
With 21 successful Everest summits under his belt, earning him the moniker “Super Sherpa,” Apa has witnessed the mountain’s harsh realities firsthand. “People ask what I most enjoyed about climbing, but really that kind of climbing isn’t enjoyable,” he says frankly. “Every morning you set off not sure whether you’ll ever make it back down.”
Yet, for many Sherpas, the lure of Everest income – upwards of $40,000 per climb – is hard to resist when other economic opportunities are scarce. “We Sherpas are suited to the work, but that doesn’t mean the work is suited to us,” Apa explains. “It’s more that that’s the only work available, and because we don’t have access to the education that allows us to choose a different career path.”
Through his nonprofit Apa Sherpa Foundation, he is working to provide alternatives by building schools in remote Nepali regions. His goal is to break the cycle of risking lives on Everest out of economic desperation.
As the impacts of climate change increasingly reveal Everest’s dark side – from tons of discarded equipment to the grim sight of emerging bodies – Apa’s perspective is a wake-up call. Mount Everest may symbolize the heights of human achievement, but for the Sherpa community, it represents a harsh reality of sacrifice and survival.
After listening to Apa Sherpa, you’ll never see the famous peak the same way again. Behind the adventurous conquests lles a more complex story of an indigenous people for whom Everest is both livelihood and lethal threat a reality that demands our awareness and compassion.
