‘Helicopter tourists’ to Everest Base Camp skip Himalayan trek, leave sherpas grounded

When Pasang Nuru Sherpa recalls his childhood in the quiet village of Pangboche, in the foothills of Sagarmatha, the Nepali name for Everest, his memories take him back to the gentle hum of daily life: the swishing of prayer flags, the calls of mountain birds, and the soft clink of yak bells as the animals meander along the narrow trails.

Back then, any disruption to this silence was rare, signaling either an emergency medical evacuation or the arrival of a high-profile visitor. Both were reasons for a helicopter to approach the homes of the Sherpa people, renowned for their ability to thrive on the world’s tallest mountains.

Today, however, the choppers have become ubiquitous. Their duty now extends to serving “helicopter tourists”, the name given to affluent tourists who want an instant ride up nearly all the way to Base Camp and are willing to pay a premium for it. “The sound of helicopters never stops,” Pasang says. “They start flying at 6 am and don’t stop until sunset. It disrupts our lives.”

It’s more than just the noise; the air traffic has taken an economic and social toll on Pasang and his community, while also endangering the fragile ecosystems of their homeland already under stress…

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