As a professional guide for Alpine Ascents International he keeps a busy schedule of some twenty trips per year, including Everest, the 8000’-meter Cho Oyu on the border of Tibet and Nepal, Aconcagua and more than a dozen trips in the Cascades. He is one of the few Sherpas working as a full-time mountain guide around the world, and he is considered the ‘Best Sirdar in the Khumbu’ for his role in organizing the Sherpa teams that support Himalayan expeditions. He is respected the world over for his far-reaching expertise in the mountains, as well as his charm and humility.

In 2008, Lakpa Rita Sherpa reached two summits: Mount Elbrus in Russia and 7,310-foot Kosciuszko in Australia – accompanied by his wife Fur Dikee Sherpa. “She didn’t want me to go by myself,” he said, even though it is only a “little hill.” It is the only time a family member has climbed with Lakpa, although his three Nepalese-born children, who joined their parents in the United States in 2004, have been to the Everest base camp with their father.

As for Kilimanjaro, which might be a walk in the park for the seasoned mountain guide, Lakpa Rita Sherpa says with a laugh, “It could be easy or maybe difficult. I don’t know! I haven’t been there.”

He should know soon enough. And once he’s made his way up the slopes of the storied peak, the special honor will be shared with the Sherpa that are respected the world over for their quiet contributions to mountaineering and their unsung leadership to the top of the world’s most challenging summits.

For Lakpa Rita Sherpa, it is the joy of climbing that he thinks of first. “Nepalese people are happy to climb,” said Lakpa Rita Sherpa. “A lot of people think we climb just to make a living. But we climb for fun, too.”

About Sherpa Adventure Gear:
Sherpa Adventure Gear was founded in 2003 by Tashi Sherpa, who was inspired to start the company when he discovered that his uncle was one of the Sherpa on Sir Edmund Hilary’s celebrated first-ever expedition to the top of Mount Everest in 1953. Sherpa Adventure Gear—which manufacturers apparel and equipment for mountain adventures—honors the unsung Sherpa heroes who make high altitude Himalayan climbs possible by carrying loads and laying ropes on treacherous slopes. Those very climbers test and help design Sherpa Adventure Gear products, most of which are produced in Nepal, where the company employs local Sherpas and plans to open a retail store in spring 2009. The Renton, Washington-based company gives back to the largely impoverished Sherpa community by donating a portion of every sale to organizations that benefit their future, such as the Sherpa Education Fund. Additionally, Sherpa athlete-ambassadors are supported with a royalty on sales to help support their families’ futures. Visit sherpaadventuregear.com for more information.