Answer:
As of January 2019:
5,294 different people have reached the summit of Everest.
1,142 of those people are Sherpas.[1]
Thus, 22% of the people who have reached the summit of Everest are Sherpas.
Most Sherpas have a genetic advantage in performing at altitude. This is due to human evolution. Generations of Sherpas have lived in villages over 3,000m in the Himalayas, and their bodies have adapted to the specific requirements of their environment.
At Everest Base Camp, it’s quite obvious there are some super-Sherpas who have multiple summits under their belt. They’re held in very high esteem by all nationalities, including the other Sherpas. Then there are some Sherpas who work in Base Camp only, and have no intention of venturing above that height into danger. And there are younger Sherpas, who have graduated from Base Camp and porting gear up to the higher camps, who are aiming for their first summit. Obtaining their first summit is a cause for huge celebration. Having looked up to the “older lads” for several years, they have now joined the elite club in their neighbourhood.
However, none of the above should be taken to imply that Sherpas can climb Everest with ease, or that they approach it in any kind of casual manner. They all know that any trip through the icefall could end in tragedy. They all know that a fall almost anywhere above Base Camp would most likely be fatal. They all know that on summit night, in the death zone, people will not return, and one’s nationality makes no difference.
