The Sherpas are a people of Nepal, not a job. They came from Tibet 500 years ago, live mainly in the Khumbu, the Everest region, and speak a language close to Tibetan. There are roughly 130,000 to 150,000 of them. Today the word “sherpa” is used for any high-altitude porter, but most Nepali porters are not Sherpas.
Sherpa: the definition
In Tibetan, “shar” means “east” and “pa” means “people”. So the Sherpas are “the people from the east”. Their ancestors lived in Kham, in eastern Tibet. They left that region in the 15th and 16th centuries, crossed the high Himalayan passes, including the Nangpa La at 5,700 m, and settled on the southern side, in Nepal.
Sherpa takes a capital letter when it refers to the people. With a lower-case s, “sherpa” has become a common noun meaning “porter” or “high-altitude guide”. This shift in meaning is what causes the confusion.
Where do the Sherpas live?
Their historical homeland is Solukhumbu, in north-eastern Nepal. It is split into two areas. The Khumbu, higher up, between 3,000 and 5,000 m, with the villages of Namche Bazaar, Khumjung, Pangboche and Thame. The Solu, lower and greener, around Junbesi and Phaplu. Many Sherpas also live in Rolwaling, in Helambu north of Kathmandu, and in the capital itself.
The Everest Base Camp trek crosses the heart of Sherpa country. Pikey Peak, in the Solu, shows the lower, quieter side of the same culture, far from the crowds.
Language, religion and monasteries
The Sherpas speak Sherpa, a Tibeto-Burman language close to Tibetan. It has no script of its own: people use the Tibetan alphabet or Devanagari. Almost all of them also speak Nepali, and the guides speak English.
Their religion is Tibetan Buddhism, of the Nyingma school. You see it everywhere on the trail: prayer flags, walls of carved stones (the “mani” walls), and stupas that you always pass on the left. Tengboche Monastery, at 3,867 m, is the best known in the Khumbu. It was founded in 1916, destroyed by an earthquake in 1934 and then by a fire in 1989, and rebuilt each time. The Mani Rimdu festival is held there every autumn, with masked dances.
Why does “sherpa” mean “porter”?
The first British expeditions to Everest, in the 1920s, hired their high-altitude porters in Darjeeling, India, where a large Sherpa community lived. These men coped well with altitude and knew the mountains. The name of the people became the name of the job.
On 29 May 1953, Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa, reached the summit of Everest with Edmund Hillary. It was the first ascent. Since then, the records have kept coming. Kami Rita Sherpa climbed Everest for the 31st time on 27 May 2025, at the age of 55. No one has done better. On today’s expeditions, Sherpas fix the ropes, set up the ladders in the Khumbu Icefall and carry the clients’ oxygen.
Not all porters are Sherpas
On a classic trek, your team comes from all over Nepal. Porters are often Rai or Tamang, sometimes Gurung or Magar, peoples from the hills of central and eastern Nepal. In the Annapurnas, many are Gurung or Magar. In Langtang, they are mostly Tamang. Calling everyone “sherpa” is a mistake, and for a Rai porter it is a bit like calling a Scot English.
There are also three different jobs:
- The porter: he carries the clients’ bags from one lodge to the next. He does not walk with you and has no compulsory training.
- The trekking guide: he holds a licence issued by the Nepali government. He walks with you, chooses the stages, watches for signs of altitude sickness and handles the permits. Since April 2023, a guide has been compulsory for trekking in Nepal’s national parks and protected areas. In practice, the Everest region (Khumbu) does not apply the rule, as the local municipality refused to enforce it.
- The expedition sherpa (“climbing sherpa”): a professional mountaineer who prepares the route and accompanies clients above 6,000 m. He is often, but not always, an ethnic Sherpa.
Pay and risks: the reality of the job
Income varies a lot from one job to another. A trekking porter usually earns between $15 and $30 a day, with or without food and lodging depending on the agency. A licensed trekking guide earns more like $30 to $50 a day. An expedition sherpa on Everest earns between $5,000 and $10,000 for a two-month season, with summit bonuses. That is a lot for Nepal, where the average monthly wage rarely goes above $200 to $300, but the price they pay is high.
About a third of the deaths on Everest are Nepali workers. On 18 April 2014, an avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall killed 16 of them. On 25 April 2015, the earthquake set off an avalanche onto Base Camp: at least 19 dead. On treks, the risks are more ordinary but real: cold, falls, altitude sickness, and above all loads that are too heavy.
How to spot an agency that treats its teams well
You will not see the payslips. But a few signs do not lie, and you can ask the questions before you book:
- A limited load. One porter carries for two clients, so 25 to 30 kg at most, including his own bag. This means you must keep your bag to 12 or 15 kg per person. Above 5,000 m, the load should go down.
- Insurance. Every guide and every porter must be covered for accidents and helicopter evacuation. Ask whether this is the case.
- Equipment provided. Closed shoes, a warm jacket, sunglasses, gloves and a hat for porters who cross a pass or sleep above 4,000 m. A porter in flip-flops at 5,000 m is the sign of an agency that cuts corners everywhere.
- A roof and meals. Porters sleep in the lodges, not outside, and eat three meals a day.
- Loyal teams. Mohan has worked in trekking for 26 years, with a permanent team of three guides and ten porters. When a guide stays ten years with an agency, it is because he is treated well there.
Tips are still a large part of their income. As a rule, allow the equivalent of 10% of the trek price, shared between the guide and the porters, and hand it over in person on the last evening. Our budget guide gives the usual amounts.
Meeting the Sherpas on a trek
The best way to understand this people is to stay in their homes. The Khumbu lodges are run by Sherpa families. The Saturday market in Namche Bazaar, evening prayers at Tengboche, the Sherpa museum in Namche and the village of Khumjung, with its school founded by Hillary in 1961, are the key stops. Thame, home village of Kami Rita and several other Everest record holders, is not on the classic Gokyo trek: it lies west of Namche, on the trail to the Renjo La and the Nangpa La. To see all the regions, visit our Nepal treks page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the definition of a sherpa?
A Sherpa, with a capital S, is a member of a Buddhist people of Tibetan origin settled in north-eastern Nepal. By extension, a “sherpa” is a porter or high-altitude guide in the Himalaya, whatever their ethnic group.
How many times has Kami Rita Sherpa climbed Everest?
31 times, the last on 27 May 2025. It is the all-time record. His first ascent was in 1994. His village, Thame, is also home to Apa Sherpa, with 21 summits.
How much does a sherpa earn on Everest?
Between $5,000 and $10,000 for a season, bonuses included, depending on experience and the agency. A trekking porter earns $15 to $30 a day, a licensed guide $30 to $50 a day.
Do you need a sherpa to trek in Nepal?
On most routes, you need a licensed guide: it has been compulsory since 2023 in national parks and protected areas. The Everest region (Khumbu) does not apply the rule in practice, as the local municipality refused to enforce it. Either way, the guide does not have to be a Sherpa. A porter is optional, but makes the trek far more pleasant. Ask Mohan how he puts his teams together.
