Help Pemba become a mountain guide

Pemba Sherpa, (nickname Pega) has already climbed both Mount Everest (8848 metres) and Cho Oyu, (8201 metres), no small feat for a 22 year old. I’d love to help Pega realize his dreams of becoming a mountaineering guide but much of the training needed for Pega to achieve his goals is unavailable in Nepal. With the proper training and education, we can help Pega make a living as a guide in Nepal.

Phortse, where Pega grew up, is a small farming village relying on a short season (due to an altitude of 3950 metres) of growing potatoes and millet. It also boasts a significant mountaineering tradition with more Everest summiteers than anywhere else in the world. It is no wonder that Pega was influenced and awed by those in his village and hoped to follow a similar path from an early age.

Growing up in Nepal is very different than growing up in North America. In Pega's village of Phortse there are no shops, no cinemas, no roads. You make your own entertainment in the surrounding mountains. To buy a loaf of bread requires a 5.7 km walk to Namche Bazaar, the nearest village to buy goods.  Schools in most Nepali villages are primary levels only. Phortse is no exception and at the age of 7 Pega won a scholarship from the Sherpa Education Fund, administered by Alpine Ascents International and was sent to Kathmandu to complete his schooling.

Although Pega would love to climb all of the 8000 metre peaks eventually, his next goals include Amadablam (6812),  Cholatse (6440) and Manaslu (8163) before he reaches the age of 25. Pega loves both ice and rock climbing and finds climbing meditative for both body and mind.