The Sherpas—Silent Guardians of Everest’s Summit

At the summit of Everest, towering 8,848 meters above sea level where the air holds only a third of the oxygen found at sea level, a quiet force carries the world’s dreams skyward. These are the Sherpas—the unsung heroes who haul tents, ropes, oxygen tanks, and the very lives of climbers to the rooftop of the world.

The Sherpa people are a small ethnic group native to the highlands of Nepal, originally migrating from Tibet some 500 years ago. Through generations of life among the clouds, they have developed a rare genetic adaptation that allows their bodies to absorb and utilize oxygen far more efficiently than the average human—an extraordinary biological "superpower" honed by centuries of survival at extreme altitudes.

Without the Sherpas, Everest would remain a cold, lifeless monolith. With them, it becomes a peak where human ambition touches the heavens.