Being Sherpa

By Catherine Tan Eng Kiew with Prakash Timilsena

In Nepal, Sherpa refers to an ethnic group that calls the mountains their home.

Physically able to survive the perils of high altitude, Sherpas have been called upon by climbers from all over the world to help them scale the mecca of peaks – the Chomolungma, or better known as Mount Everest.

Despite their invaluable contributions, Sherpas often do not share the glory of their patrons. They also have little insurance against the risks of their vocation, which often result in debilitating ailments, crippling injuries and even death.

In 2006, Ang Temba Sherpa, a two-time Everest summiteer, met an accident on his final Everest expedition. It left him half paralyzed and the uphill task of caring for his daily needs then fell upon his wife, Phurba.

As they try to pick up the pieces of their lives, the couple begins climbing mountains others cannot see.

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About The Storyteller

Catherine Tan is a yoga teacher by profession and also a freelancer writer. During a writing assignment in early 2013, she started dabbling in photography in order to take pictures for her article. This evolved into shooting trips and photo walks. Catherine’s interest grew deeper as she delved into the works of masters like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliot Erwitt, and Raghubir Singh. Since Nepal has always been a destination on her bucket list, she decided to use the opportunity to hone her storytelling in the 2014 masterclass.

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