About

In the high mountain valleys of Eastern Nepal live the Sherpas, a joyful and gentle people known across the world for their rich mountaineering heritage. After generations of living at altitude, the Sherpa people have acquired an ability to thrive in an atmosphere where others struggle. They’ve also honed excellent trekking and climbing skills, making them essential to adventurers wishing to take on one of history’s most audacious tasks: summiting Mount Everest.

Few mountaineers would dare to attempt climbing Mount Everest without at least one Sherpa guide to assist in the challenge. Sherpas do more than just offer occasional moral support or suggestions. They carefully map out the trekking route, fix climbing ropes into place along the way, and help carry the heavy load of gear that mountaineers bring along. In numerous cases, Sherpas have been credited with saving the very lives of those whom they guide.

A student isn’t all that different from an anxious mountaineer standing at the base of Mount Everest: both will need substantial assistance as they set out to climb their respective mountains. We know that Sherpas are available to guide literal climbers, but who will be there to support at-risk students as they face the metaphorical mountains stretched out before them? Without support, these young people are likely to descend back into the ingrained behaviors that have previously held them hostage.