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Apa Sherpa
Campaign Ambassador – Climate for Life Campaign
19-time Record Holding Everest Summiteer
“The changes in weather patterns are drastic. It didn’t snow at all during December, January and February, when it should snow heavily, and it finally snowed massively in May, when usually it’s dry.”
“During the past decades, I have observed many changes in the Climate in the Everest region. And when I also talk to the people living here I can hear about many such signs of changes. At first we didn’t realize that the changes were so severe, but then, we also did not know about anything called Climate Change.Now, the changes in weather patterns are drastic. It didn’t snow at all during December, January and February, when it should snow heavily, and it finally snowed massively in May, when usually it’s dry. The numbers of hot days are also increasing. We saw mosquitoes in Namche Bazaar (altitude- 3440 m) for the first time in 2008 and we also saw a housefly at Everest Base Camp (altitude – 5360 m) which is unheard of. And, of course, the rapid melting of the snow in the mountains and glaciers. For the first time in my life, during the Eco Everest Expedition 2009, I saw water around Camp 4 and near the summit of Mt. Everest. In fact, at Camp 2 we did not even have to melt snow for drinking, which was very rare in previous expeditions.
And, the melting glaciers pose an immediate threat due to the ever-increasing glacial lakes. The Imja glacial lake has slowly grown to a massive size in front of my eyes. My wife and I lost all our property and nearly lost our lives when a similar glacial lake Dig Tsho burst in 1985. I know how severe the impacts will be if a lake like Imja would burst. It would mean total devastation and not just for the people in the immediate vicinity but maybe also for people living downstream.
The people in the area are not very aware about these issues and therefore they cannot connect these changes into a single phenomenon. But these changes could have serious consequences for us. I have heard that there are 20 such glacial lakes in Nepal which are in danger of bursting. This not only poses a grave risk to all our property and infrastructure, but our lives.
I am an uneducated person, yet I realize the seriousness of the issue. I hope our senior politicians and the government realize that Climate Change poses an immediate threat to the people living in the mountainous region. We need to educate the people there and we need resources so that these problems can be solved. I have dedicated my last two Everest ascents to raise awareness about Climate Change issues. This is just a small individual step. And it is definitely not enough. I think we need to work together unitedly if we are to ever find solutions to Climate Change and the problems it is creating.”
About Apa
49-year-old Apa Sherpa is by far one of the most famous from amongst many famous and legendary mountaineers from Nepal. Born in Thame, a village in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal, right on the Everest trail, he has climbed the mountains of this area for more then twenty years. His parents were yak-herders and farmers, but he went into professional mountaineering and now he is internationally recognized as the person to hold the world record for climbing Mt. Everest for the maximum number of times – 19.
Apa thought he would stop climbing Everest after the 17th time, but growing concerns about the impacts of Climate Change in the mountains he grew up next to, made him continue. Apa has dedicated his last two Everest ascents to raising awareness about Climate Change issues and on his record-breaking 19th ascent carried the WWF banner reading STOP CLIMATE CHANGE – LET THE HIMALAYAS LIVE! to the top of the world garnering worldwide media attention. Apa continues to speak about impacts of Climate Change in the Himalayas at several international for a and is dedicated to raising awareness about this cause.
Currently Apa is living in Salt Lake City, USA where his children go to school. He works as Director of Outdoor Product Development for Diamond Mold, Inc.
Learn More About Apa Sherpa’s association with Diamond Mold Inc.
