Ngima Sherpa

Every year, over a thousand climbers try to reach the summit of Mount Everest, with the annual record for successful attempts currently standing at 633. But of that number, nearly half were Sherpas - the mountain's unsung heroes. Yet the Sherpa community has remained secretive about their nation, culture and experiences living in the shadow of the world's highest mountain. Now, for the first time, they open the door into their world. Adapted version for the BBC of the original Austrian documentary 'Die Suche der Sherpas'.

Sherpas are the real heroes of high altitude mountaineering. To the early explorers of the Himalayan region they were immeasurably valuable. Without their skills as guides, their hardiness and endurance as porters even the most modern mountain expeditions would not have been possible. But to this day the achievements of the Sherpas have not found their way into the alpine history books. The blue-chip documentary 'The Sherpas' Quest' shows where these people come from and reveals the real importance of the Sherpas for the international climbing and mountaineering community.