Everest 2021: Special Edition – Video Interview with Dawa Steven Sherpa, Asian Trekking

As I covered in a recent postEverest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. A few have canceled their Everest ’21, but many, including Asian Trekking, are moving forward with confidence.

Early reports suggest Nepal could issue well over 300 foreigner permits, high but under the record 382 in 2019. Also, it appears that COVD is slowing in Nepal, with over one-third of the population should be vaccinated by April. John’s Hopkins shows 158,487 vaccinations thus far.

I discussed the situation with Dawa Steven Sherpa, Asian Trekking – CEO, which will run their EcoEverest expedition from the Nepal side this spring. We cover many topics from COVID in Nepal, Everest, trash, skydiving, and mountain biking plus K2.

Dawa Steven Sherpa Photo Credit Marco Ferrari
Dawa Steven Sherpa Photo Credit Marco Ferrari

If you don’t know who Asian Trekking is, let me give a brief intro. Established in 1982 by Ang Tshering Sherpa, his family had already been involved in mountain expeditions for many years. Ang Tshering’s father, Konchok Chumbi Sherpa, was a friend of Sir Edmund Hillary and helped him prepare for Everest’s ascent in 1953. Konchok Chumbi was also involved in the planning and supplied the porters and equipment for the 1963 American Everest Expedition.

In 2007 Dawa Steven Sherpa, Ang Tshering’s son took over the business deftly, leading the enterprise into the modern age of mountaineering. Dawa is no stranger to adventure with three Everest summits, plus summits on four other 8000ers. He completed the 3,000-mile Great Himalayan Trail in 99 days, is an avid skydiver, and recently rode his mountain bike from Kala Patar to Namche Bazaar!

Dawa has overseen or personally led over 150 people to Everest’s summit and championed massive trash cleanup operations throughout the Himalayas, especially Everest. He is also a climate change ambassador for WWF and patron of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Nepal. His mother is from Belgium. Dawa grew up in Nepal with an international influence, speaking five languages.

Note, I will be covering all the action on Everest this spring on my Blog.


Interview with Dawa Steven Sherpa, Asian Trekking

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Dawa Steven Sherpa Interview

Thanks Dawa and best of luck this spring with all your climbs.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

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18 thoughts on “Everest 2021: Special Edition – Video Interview with Dawa Steven Sherpa, Asian Trekking

  1. Thank you Alan. I so enjoy listening to these interviews. You could be a chat show host, only mountaineering guests of course!

  2. Thank you Alan.

    I have a question – would you consider starting a patreon to help raise money for your Alzheimer’s cause?

    I would fund monthly in a small amount.
    Not sure if it would work for you but a lot of creators use it.

    1. Hi Sharon. I’ve been raising money for Alzheimer’s research since 2008. I choose a long time ago to partner with trusted organizations like the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and ask for supporters to donate directly to the organization and never to me. I want to be neutral and ensure that no one ever thinks I raise money to fund my climbs. I’v self funded the majority of my climbs but have had sponsors on some. Thanks for the suggestion and thinking of me

      1. Ok thanks Alan. I understand that thinking. I have donated to the Alzheimer’s organization in the past when you were on climbs.

        Thank you for all the work you do.

  3. Alan,

    Did I understand that correctly, you only did an Everest base camp trek the first time you went to Nepal? And is that what lit a fire in you to train and come back and climb Everest?

    Great interview by the way.

    1. Hi Mike, Yes. In 1997 I made my first trip to Nepal for an Everest Base Camp trek. It was amazing as I said in Dawa’s interview. I climbed Mont Blanc next and then did my first 8000er, Cho Oyu in 1998, reaching 8000-meters. If knew then what I know now I would have got the summit and now have four 8000ers. You can see all the climbs at https://www.alanarnette.com/mountaineering.php

      1. Thanks Alan. Love reading about your climbs and thanks for passing on so much knowledge. I hope to climb one of your favorite CO peaks(Longs) this year or next.

  4. I think there’s a mistake in the article, according to Our World in Data, Nepal provided only 158K Covid-19 vaccine doses, for about 0.55% of it’s population, which is a tiny bit less than “over one-third of the population already vaccinated”. It seems like money is the main goal here, like it was on winter k2.

      1. Well, I have seen it, and he mentioned he hopes that by April more than a third of the population will get the vaccine, while in the text it’s written that over one-third of the population are already vaccinated. So again, it seems there’s a mistake in the written article.

      2. Great interview! I agree with Riaz. Here is the exact line Alan:

        “Also, it appears that COVD is slowing in Nepal, with over one-third of the population already vaccinated.”

        I was surprised to read this line and immediately went over to google and found out they just started vaccinations and are not done with 1/3 population yet.

        It would have been nice though if it were true!

          1. Thanks Alan! These interviews and posts are invaluable to us and I appreciate that you spend so much time gather all this material. Whenever I wanted to check something related to Everest, your blog is where I turn first.

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