{"id":19140,"date":"2014-04-22T22:15:52","date_gmt":"2014-04-23T04:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=19140"},"modified":"2025-08-12T15:28:45","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T21:28:45","slug":"everest-2014-relationship-sherpa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2014\/04\/22\/everest-2014-relationship-sherpa\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2014: My Relationship with “my” Sherpa"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Alan<\/a>An editorial<\/p>\n

As the Everest 2104 season remains in limbo, Sherpas are at home reflecting on their collective loss and worried about their future.<\/p>\n

Climbers are at base camp processing a range of emotions, from guilt to lost dreams. Families are simply worried about their loved ones.<\/p>\n

This tragedy has no simple answers. It is not about money, safety, or anything more than the human condition. Anyone who professes to know the answer has not been there, and those who’ve been there don\u2019t know what the future holds.<\/p>\n

Opinions and positions based on morality are just as valid as those based on experience. This diversity of thought fuels debate, develops solutions and brings people together. It is only a polarized position that doesn\u2019t allow for movement, stifles progress and creates conflict. No one has the only answer.<\/p>\n

I have climbed the Himalaya eight times, four on Everest, all with Sherpas from the solo Khumbu area. My relationship with them has ranged from a simple hello to a lifelong friendship based on mutual respect.<\/p>\n

I would like to briefly tell you about my Everest 2011 climb and Kami Sherpa.<\/p>\n

Kami was 47 years old at the time. He had five children. His oldest son, like his father, was an Everest guide working for IMG. His second son was a monk at the Tengboche Monastery<\/span>. He and his wife had two daughters and a son in boarding school in Kathmandu.<\/p>\n

His full name was Kami Sherpa (Ang Chhiring Sherpa \u2013 Pangboche). His mother changed it to Kami after an infant illness, believing the illness would not return if she changed his name.<\/p>\n

Kami’s father was an Everest guide, a profession he spoke of with great pride. Kami had seen people die on the mountains, including relatives, including on Everest.<\/p>\n

\"Kami<\/a>Our climb was one of his many on Everest. He had already made it to the top 12 previous times and had climbed other 8000m peaks, including K2.<\/p>\n

One day, we climbed from Camp 2 towards the West Ridge for \u201cexercise\u201d. Who climbs towards the West Ridge of Everest for a workout? Well, Kami did, and he dragged me along. We slowly made progress until Kami saw my struggle. We stopped and looked back towards Nuptse, the Western Cwm and the top of the Khumbu Icefall; Pumori\u2019s snow cone summit loomed to the East.<\/p>\n

Regaining my breath, I took in the view. I was awestruck even though I had seen this view during my three previous climbs on Everest. \u201cThis is beautiful Kami.\u201d I said as a question. \u201cYes\u201d was his reply. \u201cWhat do your think when you look at this?\u201d A shoulder shrug came, followed by \u201cIt\u2019s a job.\u201d Deflated by his answer, I followed him back to Camp 2. \u201cIt\u2019s a job\u201d. Yes, it was a job that provided for his family. It was a job.<\/p>\n

When I first met Kami, he impressed me immediately. Arriving at Everest Base Camp, Jangbu, IMG\u2019s Base Camp leader, called out my name as I approached. \u201cAlan, I want you to meet your Personal Sherpa, Kami.\u201d He shook my hand firmly and confidently as we walked together towards my tent.<\/p>\n

\"Kami<\/a>I felt a bit uncomfortable as he seemed so eager to please and take care of me, even in the first few minutes. I silently asked if this was about getting a summit tip or something else. Yes, he was getting paid, actually the highest wage for a climbing Sherpa, given that he was a Personal Sherpa, meaning he would be by my side the entire climb. I had climbed with a Sherpa before, but not like this.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for my cynicism to be replaced with total respect. This was not about money. Yes, he was doing a job, but Kami cared about me.<\/p>\n

Back at Camp 2, I went to my tent after eating dinner. I didn’t feel well. Lying in my -20F down sleeping bag, my stomach turned. I tasted dinner in my throat. I fell asleep only to wake up with a start an hour later. Hurtling to the tent door, I vomited everything into the vestibule. Wiping the remnants from my mouth and sweat from my forehead, I told my tentmate, \u201cWell, that was fun.\u201d The rest of the night was uncomfortable. We were scheduled to return to Base Camp after this acclimatization rotation and wanted to leave early to go through the Icefall before it got too hot, creating more instability.<\/p>\n

Kami came over to our tent and unzipped the door. Seeing my vomit on the ground, he looked at me with concern; his eyes betrayed his \u201cjob. \u201c , \u201cAre you OK, Alan?\u201d he asked. I told him what happened and that I felt OK now. With a sadness in his eyes and voice, he simply replied, \u201cYou should have called out for me.\u201d It was then that I knew that Kami was not doing a \u201cjob;\u00a0he cared about me as a person.<\/p>\n

On our summit bid, we passed under the ice serac on Everest’s West Shoulder for the fourth time. As we left the area named “Popcorn,” Kami reminded me to move fast. We clipped into the thin white nylon rope that served as a guide and safety line and increased our pace. It was hard, even after acclimatizing. The pace Kami set was strong. I knew he was worried, so I pressed as hard as I could for as long as I could.<\/p>\n

Once out of the danger zone, we stopped for a break. With my chest heaving from the stress, I glanced toward the serac. Looking at Kami, also breathing heavily, I knew he knew. This was the reality of climbing Everest.<\/p>\n

As we neared the summit of Everest, the sun introduced itself with a tiny thin line over Bhutan. It was cold, -20F, and windy, maybe 20 mph. I was fourth in line that morning with my teammates Mirjam and Sherpa Minga ahead. Kami was in front of me. We had set a fantastic time from the South Col. When there was a line in front of us, Kami would unclip, give me a look, and we would pass them. He set a steady pace he knew I could match. If he got too far ahead, he would slow down until I caught up.<\/p>\n

His leadership, experience and style are why I summited. I was proud of my own accomplishments, self-sufficiency, physical strength at age 54, mental toughness, and desire to dedicate the summit to my mom and all those with Alzheimer’s. And I was proud to say I could not have summited without Kami.<\/p>\n

The final steps passed impressive sunlight cornices. The pace was manageable; we approached the top of the world without exposure. I followed Kami, step by step, trying to live up to his expectations of the speed. \"Alan<\/a>Without ceremony, we arrived. Kami helped me take off my pack. I sat on it as he took my picture. I looked around to see Kami and other Sherpas shaking hands.<\/p>\n

A few climbers were there from the North side. It was clear the Sherpas were extremely happy. They shouted into their radios, \u201cSummit,\u201d holding the sound of the T like a soccer announcer saying, \u201cGoooooooal.\u201d<\/p>\n

I removed my goggles and oxygen mask and looked Kami in the eye as I held his mitten-covered hand. \u201cThank you,\u201d was all I could muster. You are welcome,\u201d was all he could say. His tiny smile betrayed his true feelings.<\/p>\n

It was not a \u201cjob\u201d.<\/p>\n

Climb On!
\nAlan
\nMemories are Everything<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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