“Sharing our culture and connecting our mountain community to Nepal”

[  By Kendra Walker  ]

This week in a sold-out gathering, the Crested Butte community has the unique opportunity to hear firsthand stories from Sherpa climbers who have summited Mount Everest and learn what it takes to climb the world’s highest mountain.

The event, “Beyond the Summit: Stories from Everest,” is taking place on Saturday, September 26 at the Union Congregational Church and is presented by the United Sherpa Association of Colorado (USAC) and Sherpa Cafe. The evening will feature a panel of five veteran Sherpa climbers to share stories behind their expeditions, Sherpa culture and answer questions from the community.

The speakers include Nima Doma Sherpa, who led a team of widows to summit Everest after losing her husband on the mountain, brothers Panuru, Danuru and Mingma who have each climbed Everest 16 times, and nine-time Everest summiter Pasang Dawa Sherpa. Mingma Sherpa also lives in the Gunnison Valley. 

The evening serves as a bridge to connect Colorado with Nepal. “One of the goals of the USAC is to share our culture and connect our mountain community to Nepal,” said Ang Sherpa, whose family moved to the Gunnison Valley 15 years ago and started the Sherpa Cafe. “With the recent devastating floods in Nepal, it felt especially important to bring our community together to honor the resilience of the Nepalese people. From Nepal to our own mountain communities, we are all like family, and we want to stand together during this difficult time.”

The USAC was established five years ago to support Sherpas living across Colorado, and promotes Sherpa culture and heritage through community events, education and support for Sherpa families. The organization recently raised $20,000 for direct flood relief efforts, and those interested in helping to support ongoing recovery can reach out to the Sherpa Cafe or contribute directly through the Government of Nepal Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.

The organization is also currently raising funds to build a permanent community center in Golden, Colorado, and is working on organizing annual trips for people in Colorado to Nepal. And although Saturday’s event is already sold-out, Ang Sherpa said the USAC hopes to have more of these local cultural connection events in the future. “I’m so grateful the whole community is coming out to support the event.”