Photos: Who are the Sherpas?

An ethnic group originally associated with the eastern regions of Nepal (the word Sherpa means “eastern people” in Tibetan) the Sherpa have gained renown for their work as porters in the Himalayas. In this 1956 photo, a team of Sherpas assist a Swiss expedition in Nepal. v Mondadori Collection / Getty Images

The world first took notice of the Sherpa’s mountaineering prowess when one of their number, Tenzing Norgay, right, guided British mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, left, to the summit of Mount Everest, regarded as the first time people had made it to the top of the world’s tallest peak. Reuters / Corbis

The Sherpas seem to have developed a great tolerance to higher altitudes, an attribute that some have ascribed to a genetic adaptation. Gordon Wiltsie / Corbis

The Sherpa are regularly tasked with carrying the heavy loads needed to mount a Himalayan summit. Ed Darack / Corbis

The Sherpas’ strength, mountaineering skills and comfort at high altitudes have made them an indispensible part of the business of climbing Mount Everest. Many of them have summited several times and their familiarity with the routes leading up to the top (like the famed Hillary step, above) make them a part of virtually every Everest expedition. AFP / Getty Images

The job of guiding parties up to the summit of Everest is full of risks, a fact made bare by the avalanche that struck a group of Sherpas on April 18, 2014, killing more than a dozen of their number. Buddhabir Rai / AFP / Getty Images

The tragedy has led many of the Sherpas to call for changes and a higher rate of pay, more commensurate with the risks they regularly assume. Above, relatives of one of the victims of the avalanche, Ang Kaji Sherpa, mourn his death at a funeral on April 21, 2014. Narendra Shrestha / EPA