Sherpa Risk Calculator
The Unfair Risk
As of 2025, 310 Sherpas have died on Everest since the 1920s. 70% of all Everest fatalities while Sherpas make up less than 10% of climbers.
For every 100 climbers who summit Everest, Sherpas face a risk 7 times higher than non-Sherpa climbers.
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Every year, hundreds of climbers try to reach the top of Mount Everest. But behind every success story, there’s a quiet, heartbreaking truth: Sherpas pay the highest price. They carry the gear, fix the ropes, guide the teams, and often walk into danger so others can stand on the summit. And too many don’t come back.
How many Sherpas have died on Everest?
As of 2025, at least 310 Sherpas have died on Mount Everest since records began in the 1920s. That number isn’t just a statistic-it’s a human toll. For comparison, fewer than 120 non-Sherpa climbers have lost their lives on the mountain over the same period. Sherpas make up less than 10% of all Everest climbers, yet they account for more than 70% of all fatalities.
Why? Because Sherpas don’t just climb. They work. They haul oxygen tanks up the Khumbu Icefall-where ice collapses without warning. They fix ropes on the Lhotse Face, where a slip means a 2,000-foot fall. They set up camps in the Death Zone, above 8,000 meters, where the air holds barely a third of the oxygen at sea level. And they do it, often, multiple times in a single season.
The Khumbu Icefall: The deadliest stretch
The Khumbu Icefall, between Base Camp and Camp 1, is where most Sherpa deaths occur. It’s a shifting maze of towering ice seracs, deep crevasses, and collapsing ice walls. Climbers pass through it once or twice. Sherpas go through it five, six, even ten times in a single expedition.
In 2014, an avalanche killed 16 Sherpas in the Icefall-still the single deadliest day in Everest history. Most of them were preparing the route for foreign climbers. The next year, another avalanche at the same spot killed four more. In 2021, a serac collapse took the life of a 38-year-old Sherpa named Dorje, who had summited Everest five times before. His family didn’t get compensation until months later.
There’s no safety net. No insurance that covers the full cost of death or disability. Many Sherpa families rely on one income-their father’s or brother’s wages from climbing. When that’s gone, the whole household collapses.
What do Sherpas earn?
A typical Sherpa earns between $5,000 and $8,000 per Everest season. That’s more than ten times the average annual income in Nepal. But it’s still a fraction of what Western guides make-often $40,000 to $60,000 for the same job. And unlike Western guides, Sherpas rarely get bonuses, medical coverage, or life insurance.
Some companies offer $10,000 in death benefits. Others offer nothing. After the 2014 avalanche, families of the 16 dead Sherpas received $400 each from the government. That’s less than the cost of a single oxygen bottle.
There’s no union. No bargaining power. Most Sherpas are hired through local agents who take a cut. They’re paid in cash. If they’re injured, they’re sent home with a small payment-and no follow-up care.
Why do Sherpas keep climbing?
It’s not because they’re fearless. It’s because they have no other choice.
In the Khumbu region, there are few jobs. Farming is hard at high altitude. Tourism is seasonal. Many Sherpa families live in villages with no running water, no hospitals, and no schools beyond grade six. Climbing Everest is the only way out.
Young Sherpas grow up hearing stories of their uncles and cousins who summited. They see photos of themselves standing beside foreign climbers on summit day. They want to be part of that. But they don’t realize how many never return.
Some climb to pay for their siblings’ education. Others to build a house. A few to save enough to move to Kathmandu. But most just want to feed their children.
Who’s responsible?
The Nepali government sets the rules. It issues permits, collects fees-over $11,000 per climber-and does little to enforce safety standards. The climbing companies, mostly based in the U.S., Europe, or Australia, charge clients $45,000 to $100,000 per person. They profit from Sherpa labor, but rarely invest in their safety.
There are no mandatory insurance requirements for Sherpas. No legal limits on how many times they can climb in a season. No requirement for psychological support. No system to track injuries or deaths.
After every major accident, there are promises. Then silence. The climbing season resumes. The ropes get fixed. The Sherpas return.
What’s being done?
Some change is happening-but slowly.
In 2017, the Nepali government introduced a $5,000 life insurance policy for Sherpas. It’s a start, but it doesn’t cover long-term disability. In 2022, a group of Sherpa families formed the Everest Sherpa Association to demand better pay, insurance, and representation. They’ve pushed for mandatory safety training and limits on the number of climbs per season.
A few Western companies now offer better packages. One Australian outfitter pays Sherpas $12,000 per season and includes full medical coverage. Another gives each Sherpa a $2,000 bonus if they summit with a client. But these are exceptions, not the norm.
Most climbers still don’t know the truth. They thank their Sherpa with a handshake and a photo. They post it online with #EverestSummit. They don’t think about the funeral they’ll never attend.
What can you do?
If you’re planning to climb Everest-or even trek to Base Camp-ask these questions before you book:
- What insurance do your Sherpas have?
- How much do they earn per season?
- Do they get paid for extra climbs or dangerous tasks?
- Is there a safety protocol for the Icefall?
- What happens if a Sherpa gets hurt or dies?
Choose a company that pays Sherpas fairly. Support organizations like the Everest Summiteers Association or Shishapangma Foundation, which fund education and healthcare for Sherpa families.
Don’t just climb the mountain. Respect the people who make it possible.
Who are the Sherpas?
Sherpas are an ethnic group from the eastern Himalayas of Nepal. They’re not just climbers-they’re farmers, monks, traders, and teachers. Their name comes from the Tibetan words shar (east) and pa (people). They’ve lived in high-altitude valleys for over 500 years.
Genetically, Sherpas have adaptations that help them thrive in low-oxygen environments. Their bodies produce more hemoglobin. Their muscles use oxygen more efficiently. That’s why they can carry 40-pound loads at altitudes where others struggle to breathe.
But their strength doesn’t make them invincible. They bleed. They get frostbite. They suffer from altitude sickness. They die just like anyone else.
They’re not heroes. They’re workers. And they deserve better.
What’s next for Everest?
The number of permits issued each year keeps rising-over 400 in 2024. The mountain is getting crowded. The Icefall is more unstable than ever, thanks to melting glaciers.
Without major reforms, the death toll will keep climbing. Sherpas will keep dying. And the world will keep celebrating summits without ever asking who carried the climbers there.
The real summit isn’t the top of Everest. It’s when we stop treating Sherpas as invisible labor-and start treating them as equals.
How many Sherpas have died on Everest since 2000?
Since 2000, at least 220 Sherpas have died on Mount Everest. This accounts for more than two-thirds of all fatalities during that time. The Khumbu Icefall remains the deadliest zone, responsible for over 60% of these deaths.
Are Sherpas paid fairly for climbing Everest?
Most Sherpas earn between $5,000 and $8,000 per Everest season. While that’s high by Nepali standards, it’s far less than what Western guides earn-often five to ten times more. Many receive no health insurance, no disability coverage, and no compensation if injured. Some companies pay better, but they’re the exception, not the rule.
Why do Sherpas take such dangerous jobs?
Sherpas take these jobs because there are few alternatives. In the Everest region, farming is difficult, education is limited, and jobs are scarce. Climbing offers the only path to financial stability for many families. Many Sherpas climb to pay for their children’s education, build homes, or escape poverty.
Do climbing companies provide safety gear to Sherpas?
Some do, but many don’t. While foreign climbers get top-of-the-line gear, Sherpas often use older or donated equipment. Oxygen masks, crampons, and harnesses may be shared or outdated. In 2021, a survey by the Himalayan Database found that 40% of Sherpas used gear older than five years, and 15% had no personal oxygen system.
Is there a memorial for Sherpas who died on Everest?
There is no official memorial on Everest. However, in the village of Pangboche, near Base Camp, there’s a small prayer wheel and stone cairns dedicated to Sherpas who died on the mountain. Families leave prayer flags and offerings there. It’s quiet, unmarked, and rarely visited by tourists.
