Sardar (Sherpa)
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A Sardar or Sirdar is a
Sherpa mountain guide who manages all the other Sherpas in a climbing expedition or trekking group; Sirdar is the most common spelling used in the majority of English-language mountaineering literature. The Sirdar is typically the most experienced guide and can usually speak English
fluently. The Sirdar's responsibilities include:
- assigning responsibilities to the other guides
- hiring and paying local porters
- purchasing local food during the trek/expedition
- making the final decision regarding route choices
- handling other trip logistics such as dealing with government officials or police.
The normal progression to Sirdar usually involves starting as a porter, working their way up to being a kitchen assistant, on to an assistant guide and then finally to Sirdar. Sirdars do not normally carry loads but will do so on occasion such as carrying the pack of a client who is having difficulties from altitude sickness. The appellation is sometimes qualified with expeditions having an overall Sirdar but with other individuals in subsidiary roles such as base-camp sirdar and ice-fall sirdar.[1]
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-385-49208-9