Norbu's World

The Sherpa’s Burden is a story of Norbu Dorje – a gifted mountain climbing guide – who lives in the Khumbu Valley in Nepal. Nestled in the shadows of Mount Everest, Norbu’s world is ringed by the rugged beauty of Earth’s highest mountains and woven into the exquisite fabric of Sherpa culture.

Sherpas

The term sherpa is often understood by Westerners to mean a person who is a porter or guide for a mountaineering expedition. But in reality, the word Sherpa is a proper name referring to the ethnic group that lives in the high mountain valleys south of Mt Everest.

About five hundred years ago, a small group of Tibetans migrated to the Khumbu region of Nepal. The word "Sher-pa" means "east people." Although now part of the country of Nepal, the Sherpa have their own distinct culture and language. While Nepal is primarily Hindu, the Sherpas practice Tibetan Buddhism.

Accustomed to high elevation, the Sherpas have participated in mountaineering expeditions to the highest Himalayan peaks since the early twentieth century. Their endurance and courage earned them the nickname "Tigers of the Snow." The highest mountain in the world – Sagarmatha or Mt. Everest – was first summitted in 1953 by a Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, and a New Zealander, Edmund Hillary.

Khumbu

About 3,000 Sherpas live in the villages of the rugged Khumbu Valley, and another 30,000 Sherpas live in other mountain valleys in Eastern Nepal.

Ranging in elevation from 7,000 to 15,000 feet (2100 to 4600 meters), the Khumbu villages are connected by a network of trails only accessible to people and pack animals, traveling the same way they have for half a millennium – on foot.

Mount Kailash

A key setting in Norbu’s story is the holy mountain Kailash. Located in Tibet, Mount Kailash is about 400 miles west-northwest from Norbu's home in Nepal. In several religious faiths – Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Bon – this sacred peak is the center of the world. Some Buddhist traditions believe that the peak is home to the god Demchok – a representation of supreme bliss.

Pilgrims who complete the 32-mile (52 kilometer) circumambulation around Mount Kailash earn enough spiritual merit to release them from a lifetime of bad karma. Most pilgrims walk around the mountain in three days, but some devout pilgrims make their journey by prostrating themselves to the ground every few steps. Circling the mountain in this arduous fashion can require more than two weeks.

Books That Helped Me

Gaiety of Spirit: The Sherpas of Everest - Frances Klatzel

Naturalist and writer Frances Klatzel has lived and worked with Sherpas for three decades. In Gaiety of Spirit, she describes Sherpa culture with insightful intimacy. From everyday life to historical context and spiritual beliefs, Klatzel helped me better understand the Sherpa people in the Khumbu region.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster - John Krakauer

I bought this book in its audio version and listened to it straight through on a drive from Philadelphia to Boston. Three days later, I listened to it straight through again on my return trip. Into Thin Air is an epic tale of disaster on the world’s highest peak. After hearing this story, the question that lingered with me for years was how does one deal with grief and responsibility after a tragedy. That question led to mywriting The Sherpa’s Burden.

To a Mountain in Tibet - Colin Thubron

This contemplative memoir of Thubron’s own pilgrimage to Mount Kailash – a place revered by a quarter of the global population as the world’s most sacred place. Thubron’s prose evokes a sense of serenity that seems limitless. I wanted Norbu to feel this peace after struggling with his role in the accidental death of a friend.