I thought you’d never ask.

Sherpa is a Tibetan word that stands for “eastern people.” The Sherpa people are an ethnic group living high up in the Himalayas in Nepal and parts of India. People commonly refer to a Sherpa when they speak of mountaineering porters and guides that escort adventurous hikers up the treacherous slopes of Mt. Everest. Stories such as “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer depict Sherpa mountain guides as trustworthy, knowledgeable and tough as an ox. Sherpas are renown by the international climbing community for their expertise and experience at high altitudes. For all the stores about Sir Edmund Hillary’s first recorded Mt. Everest ascent, stories about the heroic life-saving efforts of Sherpas are few and far between. Nevertheless, climbers couldn’t scale the icy slopes without the intimate local knowledge of their Sherpa guides. Sherpas are the unsung heroes of mountaineering.

Sherpa Facts

Official language: Dialect of Central Tibetan.
Population: The 2001 Census in Nepal counted 154,622 Sherpas. Sherpas also live in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong in India.
Traditional Clothing: Robe-like garments made of woven woolen cloth known as “Chuba” are worn by Sherpas to keep warm in the harsh winter climate.
Interesting Factoid: In May, 2009, Apa Sherpa successfully climbed Mt. Everest for the 19th time.

Why “Sherpa” Travel Exchange?

We thought about calling our innovative new company Scooby-Doo Travel Exchange or some highly descriptive utilitarian name like Rentyourextraspace.com, but we just didn’t think those names exuded any character or embodied the ethos of the company and its Founders. So, we decided to create a modern, contemporary brand around the Sherpa mascot and the values that Sherpas represent to their patrons and the larger Himalayan community. From a business standpoint, we think an engaging, humorous and helpful Sherpa mascot gives us a chance to differentiate ourselves from current and future competitors. So, we named our mascot “Lucky the Sherpa” because we think that if you use Sherpa Travel Exchange that you will “Get Lucky” by spending less on travel or avoiding lodging costs altogether through our Sherpa Home Exchange program.

Thank you for visiting Sherpa Travel Exchange and may your journey be safe, rewarding and memorable.

Sincerely,

The Sherpa Travel Exchange Team