Description
Originally, poverty forced the Sherpas to cross the snowline on the holy and highest mountains in the world-into the realm of the Gods. There, according to their Buddhist beliefs they might lose both this life, and the next. Today, proudness is also a driving and new conflicting force.
The old asymmetric colonial relation between sahibs and coolies has largely evened out. Sherpas organize their own expeditions and record races. But still we, the wealthy foreigners, can pay a high price to put both Sherpas and us into mortal danger. What are we fighting for? Or fleeing from?
Jon Gangdal has been climbing and collaborating with Sherpas for more than 35 years. In this book, through little known historical material and his own hard-won experiences with death and joy – guilt and glory- on Mount Everest and other 8000-meter peaks, he’s trying to come closer to an answer.
