Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Rollover
climber
Gross Vegas
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2014 - 07:15pm PT
|
Good Sherpas average $2000-$3000 a season.
Average income for a male in the Khumbu is $400-$500 a year.
Problem is when a Sherpa dies, the repercussions are
exponential, lasting 20-30 years for a Sherpa's family (mostly extended) to recover.
Villages are 40-50 houses max..
One potential summiteer pays $65,000+ to walk up this yak route..
Bit of a dichotomy, don't you think?
Everest should actually COST MORE for the as#@&%es that want to join in the shitshow.
|
|
zBrown
Ice climber
Brujo de la Playa
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2014 - 08:00pm PT
|
Can't find much in the way of miners salaries in Chile, however, some anecdotal information from an article on the 33 trapped miners from 2010.
Darío Segovia had only been working at San José for three months before the accident on August 5. He had taken the job because he had been unemployed and has three children, but had been planning to look for something else. “He earned 450,000 pesos ($930) a month. This wasn’t his shift – he was doing overtime to earn a bit extra,” his sister said.
Here's the webpage notice you get when you quote it.
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f3ea0c16-d557-11df-8e86-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2zHllrJSc
|
|
Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2014 - 08:17pm PT
|
The Sherpas may be about to up the ante with the Nepalese government at least. This account was posted by Tim of Peak Freaks 8000, and reposted on the Everest-K2 website.
"There was a meeting today at base camp with leaders and some out-spoken Sherpas. They are heating up. They are not impressed with the Ministry of Nepal that gains over 100 million a year revenue from Everest and the amount alloted for the familes when something goes wrong does not make sense. The ministry did put some officials at camp this year in light of the conflict last year, but at this meeting they were nowhere to found. Even after Sherpas were yelling out one officials name that they knew well - there was no response.
A time of healing and re-thinking has been asked for. One Sherpa taking the stance as a spokesperson for the group has asked for 4 days of no climbing. We will respect that.
Time for sleep and try to digest all that has gone on today. Everyone is in agreement that Everest 2014 is shaping up to be the worst season in history for complications and for deaths, it's already surpassed previous records in one event".
http://www.explorersweb.com/offsite/?source=http%3A%2F%2Fpeakfreaks8000.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F04%2Favalanche-update-3-soul-searching-4.html&lang=en
|
|
nah000
climber
canuckistan
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2014 - 08:22pm PT
|
Scott Patterson wrote: "On the other hand, not letting them have employment, if that is what they truly want to is not the answer either."
the above logic, with regards to the discussion at hand, verges on the obscene. the exact same logic can be used to justify 18 hour sewing shifts, miners working in unsafe conditions, etc. and etc.
in a global economy nobody wants to work a job where they are paid under $10k a season and may die, unless it is because they are without better options.
when the only job global capitalism has to offer a people is woefully uncompensated and dangerous employment to justify it with "they want to do that job" is unbelievably short sighted.
carrying a persons pack on a trail: sure, in that case it's an argument worth discussing.
extending that to a situation where a person has a high chance of dieing and/or being injured due to random causes, and there is very limited compensation, limited accident insurance and limited life insurance... sorry, but this is just another case study showing how laissez faire capitalism always takes advantage of the most vulnerable.
[anybody looking for a quick primer on the nuts and bolts of the sherpa reality should check out the article linked in this thread that Jan started last year.]
|
|
Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2014 - 10:24pm PT
|
"If life was a dream that money could buy, rich would live and the poor would die . . . "
RIP brave souls, trying to make a buck, working for the "upper class" and risking it all . . . The tale of many who are currently scratching out a "living" in this world economy. Unfortunately this condition extends far back in time . . . the few have almost always exploited the many.
|
|
Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2014 - 10:35pm PT
|
Too many Sherpas are getting the chop, send the yuppy CEO$ into the icefall/avi chaos on a daily basis, they are screwing us over anyway...
|
|
Sanskara
climber
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2014 - 11:08pm PT
|
Republican fund raiser at camp whatever ..
Who is gonna organize this party ;)
Clearly I am joking but..
|
|
Scott Patterson
Mountain climber
Craig
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 12:01am PT
|
in a global economy nobody wants to work a job where they are paid under $10k a season and may die,
Nobody?
Several of the Sherpas who work on Mount Everest actually come to the United States and live for much of the year. Some of them even climb on their own time without getting paid.
I'm sure a lot of them don't want to be there, but some do. Some actually want the chance to stand on the summits. Some of them (even several of them living in the United States) own their own trekking and climbing companies and return to Nepal year after year, even though they have good lives in the United States.
It may be a small minority, but you can't say "nobody".
For the ones that don't want to be there, what do you think the best alternative is and what have you done to help? There are plenty of ways to donate to the Sherpa people.
|
|
Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 12:20am PT
|
Jim Donini's post owns this thread and says it all.
|
|
Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 12:25am PT
|
Here's a fund set up to provide free schooling in Kathmandu for Sherpa children whose fathers have been killed on Everest.It was set up by one of the guide services.
http://sherpaedfund.org/index.html
|
|
Sanskara
climber
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 12:28am PT
|
That's cool Jan..
We can all be critical all we want and I'm not saying sh#t about being critical however wives and kids are hurting and in a real bad place tonight and going forward. Hotta be a pretty tuff society to grow up amongst without a dad fir many reasons..
|
|
Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 01:24am PT
|
Time to bring a howitzer to BC?
That should solve everything . . . lawyers, guns and money!
Seriously though . . . death don't have no mercy.
|
|
Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 01:54am PT
|
I believe what Bruce advocates is coming, but you have to remember that the Sherpas started several centuries behind the workers in the West who demanded their rights.Thirty years ago the average Sherpa was illiterate and looked down upon my the Nepalese government because they eat beef and drink alcohol, and living at high altitude with no amenities, weren't the cleanest people in the world either.
Things have really changed since then thanks to money and their prestige in the rest of the world.There have even been state funerals for famous Sherpas who died.Only now however, are there quite a few Sherpas who are college educated and traveled in the world. They are already angry at the economic situation and will shortly demand change even though that goes against the traditional values of humility and fatalism.
Being at the bottom of the caste system for several centuries, it has taken a while for them to understand their own unique importance and position in the world.
|
|
Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 03:20am PT
|
Does the money coming into the Khumbu get spread throughout the rest of Nepal?
I understand that western firms and the government in Kathmandu take in a significant amount, the Namche and Lukla families have quite a good chunk of change coming in compared to other districts and communities where the way of life has risks similar to those working in the Everest machine.
|
|
neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 03:25am PT
|
hey there say, jan... thank you so much for your posts... i learn a lot from you... i've just been a mommy for near all of my adult live...
i am much in the dark, as to the sherpas, as, i never was a climber, and have just learned about them, as, i have just learned how many folks climb everest, etc, as compared to rare stuff i read, perhaps 40 years agao...
i've since learned a lot of hard sad things... and how some things are to be good, but, suddenly go wrong, and all the etcs, of trying to have work for yourself and families...
it is heartbreaking enough, when single folks die, older or younger, but twice so, when there are young children at home, waiting for the daddies, that will never come back... :(
not meaning to neglect the other good posts here, too...
but jan has shared a lot insight from other angles...
|
|
Ham and Eggs
Mountain climber
Aoraki/Mt Cook Village
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 05:03am PT
|
Russ Brice copped an earful when he pulled his group before things even truly got underway last year.Alas, he offered no peace-piece-meal refund.
Some would much rather be heading-up from the Tibetan side.
Guiding is a dangerous way to make a buck. Or when it's half-a-buck, even more, unfortunately.
The Khumbu Climbing School, Petzl/ENSA and guys like Russ Brice and Guy Cotter are to be commended for pushing for a better deal for Sherpa and Sherpani UIAGM/IFMGA status.
Kudos too, to Simon Moro for pushing hard and emptying his own pockets to improve rescue resources.
|
|
Ham and Eggs
Mountain climber
Aoraki/Mt Cook Village
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 05:18am PT
|
You shouldn't be on an 8000 meter peak if you are not prepared for self rescue. Hundreds of clients waiting for "a team of experts" to refix lines for their retreat speaks volumes about the current state of affairs on Everest.
There is some truth there......Also however, clients are instructed not to touch the fix lines. Indeed some get mighty shirty if they even 'test the lines'.
There's a fair bit of time chilling in camps. Most westerners discuss/are shown self-rescue skills by their guides. But when chaos reigns on the route, the 2 sherpa to every westerner ratio kicks-in.
Indeed, guides and fixing teams outnumber the western clients 2:1 which really adds to the congestion.
Not every client is "rich" by home-town standards. There are many who work 12-14 hour days to save for the trip - career development, family and the sheer work hours probably don't give them much spare time for a climbing apprenticeship. So they pay professionals to minimise the learning curve.
|
|
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2014 - 11:22am PT
|
Ham and Eggs, nice job of describing the current state of affairs on Everest .....a state of affairs I find lamentable. I'm calling bull on the idea that people pay to reduce the learning curve. I very much doubt that ANY of todays clients would ever venture onto Everest without the fixed ropes, 2/1 guide/ client ratio, and the load carrying and tent and meal preparation provided by sherpas.....babysitting at high altitude.
Let's face it....the clients are peak baggers who want to be the second person around the water cooler in some corporate office building who can brag about standing on the highest place on earth......climbing has nothing to do with it,
About fifteen years ago I was at Vincent basecamp in Anarctica and ran into Dick Bass, author of the Seven Summits, the book that, arguably, started this craze. He was a a jovial guy who enjoyed holding court in the quonset hut. One evening he candidly stated....."I never said I was a climber, hell I can't even tie a knot!"
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!