Bridging Worlds:: A Sherpa's Story

Bridging Worlds brings us Pemba Sherpas unique perspective on the vastly different worlds of Nepal and the United States. Pemba and his co-author James McVey take the reader on Pembas life journey from a poor remote Nepalese village in the Khumbu to accomplished mountaineer expedition leader and successful U.S. businessman - and back to Khumbu where his journey began to build a bridge hydroelectric power plant and bring hundreds of thousands of dollars in earthquake relief to his native people. Moreover Pemba and James tell the story of the Sherpa people their history and culture and their central role in the Everest expedition industry. From a Sherpas perspective Pemba details the exceptional dangers Sherpas face as expedition workers in the Himalayas the poor wages they earn compared to the millions of dollars collected annually by the government in permit fees - and the alarming state of the climbing industry on Mt. Everest today - not the least of which is the amount of garbage and human waste on Everest that threatens the water supply system of Khumbu.