SHERPA, a powerful and captivating story told through the eyes of these elite mountaineering guides, makes its Canadian television debut on Saturday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery. Sherpas, the local Nepalese people who make their living aiding foreign climbers to achieve their dreams of ascending to the highest point on Earth, have seen their fair share of disaster. On April 18, 2014, a massive avalanche struck the Khumbu Icefall on the Nepali slopes of Mount Everest, killing 16 Sherpas and consequently changing the act of alpining Everest forever.
From Director Jennifer Peedom, whose filmaking specifializes in depecting intimate portraits of people in extreme circumstance,SHERPA features exclusive access with members of the Sherpa community, their families, and Western adventurers who were getting ready to climb Mount Everest before the tragic event. The BAFTA-nominated film highlights this volatile time in the Everest climbing industry, which served as a turning point for many Sherpas and their families as they considered whether to continue working on the unforgiving mountain.
SHERPA originally began as a documentary about the upcoming climbing season from the Sherpas’ point of view after a highly publicized confrontation in 2013 between Western climbers and a group of Sherpas. Peedom and her team planned to focus on legendary Sherpa Phurba Tashi’s world record-breaking attempt to summit Everest for the 22nd time. Instead, they captured the single deadliest day in the mountain’s history after an avalanche struck the Khumbu Icefall, an area just above base camp. Coverage of the aftermath aired around the world.
Discovery cameras were also on Mount Everest during the tragedy in preparation to film a live event with climber Joby Ogwyn, which later turned into a documentary about the rescue and recovery efforts. The disaster provoked a drastic reappraisal of the Everest climbing industry.
