Molly Loomis: Himalayan Sherpa Collection
The World Oral Literature Project is pleased to host the collection of Molly Loomis. Details of the full collection can be browsed on DSpace@Cambridge by clicking here.
These recordings were made on a trek in the spring of 2011 up to Mount Everest Base Camp. The recordings span a wide variety of topics from making and drinking chang to the work of Mount Everest's 'ice fall doctors'.
Collection Details:
Collection: Himalayan Sherpa Collection
Collector: Molly Loomis
Date(s): 2011
Language(s): English, Nepali, Sherpa
1. Ice Fall Doctors 1, Ang Gylzen Sherpa
Ang Gylzen Sherpa talks about his life as an Ice Fall doctor on Mount Everest. He discusses safety, religious practices, group dynamics, organization and the effects of climate change. (The tape pickes up speed and gets more interesting once Ang Gylzen uses the translator.)
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2. Ice Fall Doctors 2, Ang Kami
Ice Fall Doctor Ang Kami explains how his climbing background. Then he and Ang Nima being explaining how the history of the Ice Fall doctors.
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3. Ice Fall Doctors 3, Ang Nima 1
Ang Nima, who has worked as an Ice Fall Doctor since 1975, describes his plan and desire to climb Mount Everest. It is worthwhile noting his proposed schedule to go up the mountain. He is proposing a time frame that would be unfathomable to most non-Sherpa.
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4. Ice Fall Doctors 4, Ang Nima 2
Ang Nima explains how he became an ice fall doctor, starting with working on Sir Chris Bonington’s Everest expedition in the 1970s.
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5. Ice Fall Doctors 5, Changing Route
Ang Nima and Ang Kami describe how the route up the Khumbu Icefall is created each season. They also give their thoughts on how climate change has effected the icefall.
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6. Ice Fall Doctors 6, Long Conversation
Ang Nima and Ang Kami discuss different elements of their lives as Ice Fall Doctors: what they like about the job; safety; what their wives think of the work; religion and how it keeps them safe in the ice; spirits in the Icefall and the surrounding mountains and how much longer they expect to do the job. (Some of the conversation is in English. Later on it is translated from Nepali into English.)
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7. Ice Fall Doctors 7, Singing
Ang Nima and Ang Kami sing a few different songs. They begin with a Japanese climbing song, but move onto Sherpa songs.
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8. Ice Fall Doctors: Photographs
[Archive]
9. Ang Rita 1
Ang Rita describes in Sherpa difference aspects of his life as a yak herder and yak herding culture. Tape includes native names for yak, birth and death ceremonies; castration practices; differences between Sherpa and Tibetan customs regarding yaks; herding yaks as a child; herding calls; interactions with wolves; grazing practices; concerns about decline of yak herding and the environmental consequences; the future of yak herding; famous yak herders; the effects of horses and zopkios; traditions that are on verge of being lost; what the Khumbu Valley was like when Ang Rita was a child.
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10. Ang Rita 2, Clothing
Ang Rita explains in Sherpa how the Sherpa used to dress more like the Tibetans before western trekkers were so prevalent in the valley.
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11. Ang Rita 3, Yeti
Ang Rita explains in Sherpa legends surrounding the presence of a Yeti.
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12. Ang Rita: Photographs
[Archive]
13. Lakpa Norbu 1, Loss of Language
Lakpa Norbu Sherpa discusses some of the differences in Sherpa dialect; how an increasing number of Sherpa are only speaking and learning Nepali; how his children’s inability to speak Sherpa makes him feel.
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14. Lakpa Norbu 2, Why Won't Climb Everest
Lakpa Norbu Sherpa explains why as the only son in his family, they won’t allow him to climb Mount Everest.
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15. Lakpa Norbu: Photographs
[Archive]
16. Pasang Temba 1, Barley and Nawa
Pasang Temba explains the traditional system under which barley was planted in the Khumbu.
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17. Pasang Temba 2, Introduction
Pasang Temba, trekking guide and lodge owner, from the Khumbu introduces himself and gives a little bit of information on his background.
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18. Pasang Temba 3, Tibetan Refugees
Pasang Temba talks about Khampa people with frostbite coming over into Nepal to get treatment as they escape from Tibet.
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19. Pasang Temba 4, Geographical Legends
Pasang Temba explains some of the legends associated with the local mountains.
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20. Pasang Temba 5, More on Crops
Pasang Temba gives a more thorough explanation of the planting system. He also explains how the settlement of villages has changed over the years and how traditional knowledge gets passed down.
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21. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche 1, Chang
Description in Sherpa of chang; use of chang in festivals; how drunkenness is viewed; if women drink; Lots of laughter.
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22. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche 2, Changes in Tourism
Description in Sherpa and English of how tourism has changed after the visit of Sir Edmond Hilary; causes of recent decline in tourism; how Maoists have contributed to decline in tourism.
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23. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche 3, Dancing
Description of Sherpa dances; traditional clothing and jewellery for dances and festivals.
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24. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche 4, Introductions
Each member of the group introduces him or herself.
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25. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche 5, Jobs and Religion
In a mix of English and Sherpa each person describes their job and what their parents did; one was a farmer, another was a lama; changes in jobs from their parents generations to the current generation; why Tenzing decided to be a lodge owner instead of a lama; Tenzing explains the role Buddhism plays in his life today.
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26. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche 6, Legends About Land
In Sherpa Tenzing explains a local legend about the land.
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27. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche 7, Local Government
In a mix of Sherpa and English, they describe how decisions get made in the village; how rules/laws get made; what happens when rules/laws get broken; how exile is enforced; the structure of the governing committee.
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28. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche 8, Singing
The group sings a song about making a house, hanging katas and blessing a house. After singing there’s an explanation in English of what the song is and how the songs differ between regions.
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29. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche 9, Weddings and Marriage
Dawa describes the process of getting married. (Dawa is about to get married.) Some of the group is together by love marriage. Others are together by arranged marriage (including Ang Jangmu and Mingma Tsering). Tsering describes getting married to Ang Jangmu in Sherpa; LOTS of laughter. Explanation of the transition between arranged and love marriages; description of traditional Sherpa wedding.
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30. Rivendell Lodge-Deboche Photo
[Archive]
31. Dr Kami Sherpa 1, Brain Drain
Dr. Kami Sherpa discusses some of the challenges of recruiting Nepali doctors that are willing to stay and work long term in the Khumbu.
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32. Dr Kami Sherpa 2, AMS and Porter Health
Dr. Kami Sherpa discusses why high altitude mountain sickness seems to be increasing; the health of Rai porters; the future of altitude illness; measures being taken to improve porter education and porter health.
[Archive] [Watch video]
33. Dr. Kami Photo
[Archive]
34. Pemba Sherpa 1, Attitudes Towards Western Doctors
Pemba Sherpa describes how Sherpa initially felt being treated by Western doctors.
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35. Pemba Sherpa 2, Changes in Trekking Industry
Pemba Sherpa, a long time trekking guide, discusses some of the changes that have occurred in the trekking industry.
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36. Pemba Sherpa 3, How Treatment of Nepalis and Westerners Differs
Pemba Sherpa, a long time trekking guide, discusses some of the difference in medical treatment that Nepalis and Westerners receive.
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37. Pemba Sherpa 4, Pay Structure for Porters
Pemba Sherpa, a long time trekking guide, explains the pay structure for porters working in the Khumbu.
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38. Pemba Sherpa Photo
[Archive]
39. Prakash Adhikari 1, Altitude Illness in Pilgrims
Prakash explains the problems they have with altitude illness in pilgrims travelling to Gosikunda.
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40. Prakash Adhikari 2, AMS Experience
Prakash talks about his own near death experience with Altitude Mountain Sickness while working as a Liaison Officer on a Himalayan expedition. That is how he began working for the Himalayan Rescue Association.
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41. Prakash Adhikari 3, Evolution of Technology
Prakash explains how communication technology has evolved in the Himalayan and how that’s enabled the HRA to more quickly provide help to people in the Himalaya.
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42. Prakash Adhikari 4, Gosikunda Tal
Prakash explains the yearly Hindu pilgrimage to the lake, Gosikunda.
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43. Prakash Adhikari 5, Origin of GK Clinic
Prakash gives the history of how the Gosikunde clinic came about.
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44. Prakash Adhikari 6, Porters and IPPG
Ice Fall Doctor Ang Kami explains how his climbing background. Then he and Ang Nima being explaining how the history of the Ice Fall doctors.
[Archive] [Watch video]
45. Prakash Adhikari 7, Understanding AMS
Prakash explains how it has taken doctors in Kathmandu a while to understand the physiology behind altitude illness.
[Archive] [Watch video]