Everest: Goddess of the Sky (mini)(C)

Foreign climbers measured Mount Everest in feet. The Sherpa people measured it in sacrifice.–Issued between 1902 and 1911 under the Rana rulers of Nepal, this 1 paisa circulated through Himalayan trade routes long before Mount Everest became an international obsession. In the Khumbu region, the Sherpa people lived among the world’s highest peaks, practicing Tibetan Buddhism and viewing the mountain, known locally as Sagarmantha and Chomolungma, as sacred, rather than something to be conquered. – Long before foreign expeditions arrived, Sherpa communities survived through farming, herding, and mountain trade, developing crucial knowledge of the Himalayas as well as an ability to endure the region’s thin air and brutal conditions. As Everest expeditions expanded in the twentieth century, Sherpa guides became essential to nearly every ascent, carrying supplies through avalanches and icefalls while facing some of the mountain’s greatest challenges. For many, Everest brought not fame, but loss, as the bodies of climbers and guides alike became permanent fixtures along the frozen ascent routes. Despite the treacherous terrain and conditions, 65 Sherpas have climbed to the summit more than once, with Kami Rita Sherpa holding the record of ascending 32 times.

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