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Enjoy early access to Nima’s story here; before it is published to all of the popular platforms on October 20, 2026.

Episode #209: Nima Sherpa

Director

Last Frontiers Trekking

Episode #209: Nima Sherpa
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Guest Bio

Nima Sherpa is the Director of Last Frontiers Trekking, a boutique travel company based in Kathmandu, Nepal. A third-generation tourism professional, Nima returned to Nepal after completing his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in the United States. Building on his family’s long history in Himalayan expeditions and trekking, Nima now leads Last Frontiers Trekking, specializing in authentic and carefully crafted journeys across Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and India. His deep roots in the Sherpa community and extensive experience as a trekking guide inform his approach to designing culturally rich and adventurous travel experiences.

Show Summary

In this episode of the Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Podcast, host Jason Elkins talks with Nima Sherpa about his unique perspective as both a member of the Sherpa community and a leader in the adventure travel industry. They discuss the origins and meaning of the Sherpa name, the evolution of Last Frontiers Trekking since its founding in 1984, and the company’s role as a destination management company (DMC) for Nepal and surrounding countries. Nima shares insights into the cultural diversity of Nepal and how that shapes travel experiences for visitors.

The conversation also explores Nima’s personal journey, from growing up around trekkers and travelers in Kathmandu to studying computer science in the U.S. and eventually returning to lead the family business. Jason and Nima reflect on the challenges and rewards of crafting itineraries that blend adventure, culture, and meaningful local interaction. Highlights include a historical overview of Nima’s family’s involvement in early Himalayan expeditions and the ongoing commitment to sustainable and tailored travel experiences.

Key Takeaways

  • ✓ The last name Sherpa refers to an ethnic community, with most members sharing it as a family name, while the term “sherpa” is also used occupationally for mountain guides and porters.
  • ✓ Last Frontiers Trekking has been operating for over 40 years, offering customized travel experiences in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and India.
  • ✓ The company functions as both an inbound tour operator and a destination management company (DMC), collaborating with partners across the region.
  • ✓ Nepal’s tourism industry includes a mix of direct bookings and B2B arrangements with outbound tour operators worldwide.
  • ✓ High altitude expeditions above 7,000 meters are not part of Last Frontiers Trekking’s current offerings, but trekking to destinations like Everest Base Camp remains core to their business.
  • ✓ Cultural immersion and local interaction, including visits with families, ceremonies, and monastery visits, are important elements of the trips they design.
  • ✓ Nima’s family has a long history of involvement with Himalayan expeditions dating back to the 1950s, including participation in the 1953 Hillary expedition.
  • ✓ Nima studied computer science in the U.S., which helped him understand international clients and supports his interest in integrating technology and AI into the business.
  • ✓ As a former trekking guide, Nima values hands-on involvement in creating itineraries that reflect both the traveler’s interests and local culture.
  • ✓ Patience is essential in the adventure travel industry, as developing new trip products and establishing partnerships often takes years before yielding results.

What You’ll Find on Last Frontiers Trekking’s Website

  • ✓ Customized trekking and travel itineraries across Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and India tailored to different interests and fitness levels.
  • ✓ A blend of adventure and cultural experiences, including hiking, photo tours, and local ceremonies.
  • ✓ Expertise in managing logistics and partnerships as a destination management company (DMC) for multiple countries in the Himalayan region.
  • ✓ Flexible travel options ranging from leisure tours to soft hiking, with an emphasis on authentic local engagement.
  • ✓ Knowledgeable guidance from a team deeply connected to the Sherpa community and Himalayan heritage.
  • ✓ Commitment to creating meaningful and safe travel experiences that respect local customs and environments.

Learn more about Last Frontiers Trekking and connect with Nima at:

https://www.lastfrontierstrekking.com

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Podcast Transcript

This transcript is auto-generated on recording, and has not been edited by a human. It may contain lots of mistakes, crazy words, and stuff that makes no sense. The host and the guest are not responsible for the accuracy of the transcript.

Jason (01:09)
Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of the Big World Made Small podcast for the adventure traveler. So happy to have each and every one of you back today and very excited to have our guest today. We’ve got Nima Sherpa here. Nima is the director of Last Frontiers Trekking. Nima, welcome to the podcast. Happy to have you here.

Nima Sherpa (01:29)
Thank you, Tyson. It’s nice to see you again.

Jason (01:31)
Yeah, we s we spoke last week for our listeners. and you just have a fascinating conversation, a multi-generational story to share with us today. So I’m excited about that. and before we do that, let’s I don’t know if it’s obvious to anybody at all. So I don’t want to make any assumptions, but tell me, Nima, where are you physically located? Where do you live?

Nima Sherpa (01:49)
So right now I I am in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Jason (01:52)
Okay.

Nima Sherpa (01:53)
so yeah, I’ve been living here.

Jason (01:55)
All right. Very cool. I’ve had very few conversations with people in and around Nepal working in Nepal. So I’m I know I’m gonna learn some things today. And honestly the first thing I wanna learn, and I’ve wondered for a long time, and I didn’t want to just go ask ChatGPT because I’ve got an expert here in front of me. So I’m gonna ask you, help me and probably some of our listeners get our head around the name Sherpa. Because I think that’s something if you’re from the US, it’s like

Seems like everybody that works in mountaineering in Nepal has a last name Sherpa. I don’t know if that’s a a given name when you’re born. I don’t just tell me about the name Sherpa. Is that similar to any last name that we might hear have here in the US or is there something different?

Nima Sherpa (02:40)
Sure. this is something that almost everybody asks as a traveler, you know, when they come to Nepal. So yeah,

Jason (02:44)
okay. Good. I’m not the only one.

Nima Sherpa (02:48)
so so it’s not a it’s not a tricky question.

Jason (02:51)
All right, good, good. We w

start off with the easy ones then.

Nima Sherpa (02:54)
Yeah. So I mean there is definitely two you know versions of Sherpa nowadays, you know, the word I call I call the big S and the small S, you know. because the big S, the Sherpa, it’s it’s a ethnic it’s an ethnical tribe. So basically we come from you know Sherpa ethnical you know community. So

So it’s a it’s it’s a last name that’s given to us, you know, so we inherit that, you know, through through the generations.

Jason (03:22)
But like everybody does

everybody in the tribe?

Nima Sherpa (03:25)
yes, yes, everybody

Jason (03:26)
Okay. All right.

Nima Sherpa (03:27)
that’s in the that’s in the in the in the Sherpa community. most most of it, you know, most of the people living up in the northern Himalayan territory, you know, they are called Sherpa. Most of them are called Sherpa. And

Jason (03:40)
Okay.

Nima Sherpa (03:41)
so yeah, so you know, I mean so that’s that’s how I’ve you know got my last name. and the small s is

is nowadays kinda referred to a a a occupation a a job title, you know, for the

Jason (03:54)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (03:54)
for the expeditions or or for the high altitude treks and anything like that.

Jason (03:59)
Okay. I get I think I get that. Do you have another last name as well that helps cause I imagine if everybody in the community has the same last name, there’s only so many first names before you start to get a situation where maybe there’s a few Nema Sherpas. So do you have another last name that you use on your documentation and stuff like that to keep it all straight?

Nima Sherpa (04:20)
no, no. I mean I mean I mean if you go really d deep into the the community, the Sherpa community, then of course we have what we call is is everybody has their own roots. So a Sherpa could have different kind of roots where they come from. So

Jason (04:36)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (04:37)
some people could use Sherpa plus a his or her root, you know. When I mean by root is like, you know, where the generations came from, you know.

so but you know on my you know identity card or anything like that, you know, we basically just say Sherpa. And by the way, you know, we have a lot of, you know, our first names are also very much you know common. So, you know, not to say only Sherpa is common, but also the first name, you know. So so there could be Nima Sherpa, like I don’t know, thousands of Nima Shirpas as well.

Jason (05:10)
okay.

Nima Sherpa (05:12)
Yeah.

Jason (05:12)
Does that create challenges? I mean, I guess you grow up with it, so it’s just kind of y your way, but it to me it just

Nima Sherpa (05:17)
I yeah, I mean

Jason (05:19)
imagine if everybody in the US not everybody, but a large number of people we have common

Nima Sherpa (05:22)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jason (05:23)
last names, but not quite as common, maybe as Sherp is there.

Nima Sherpa (05:25)
Well

yeah, well actually there’s been an incident for me when I was crossing the the US immigration as well. you know, I mean something flagged, you know,

Jason (05:34)
yeah.

Nima Sherpa (05:37)
when the I showed you know my password and I assumed that some other Nemo Sherpas did something, you know. So I

Jason (05:43)
Uh-huh.

Nima Sherpa (05:43)
I I inquired, you know, at the at the officer and I said, you know, is there a problem? And I guess I guess you figured it out, you know, that I’m a different Nemo Sherpa. So

Jason (05:51)
Uh-huh.

Nima Sherpa (05:53)
So that’s it that’s that’s one of the incident I had with with with the name being common to like, I don’t know, thousands of people.

Jason (06:00)
Yeah, yeah. Is I’m curious if you know or if you

Nima Sherpa (06:03)
Mm.

Jason (06:03)
can share with me like roughly what percentage of Nepalese carry the last name Sherpa? Do you I can’t I don’t know if it’s ten percent or it’s just everybody that works in mountaineering or almost everybody or what is how does that work?

Nima Sherpa (06:19)
you know, Sherpa is I mean being ethnical, you know, community, we are still a minority as well. So I mean I don’t know in percentage, but I’m assuming it’s probably like, you know, at least below ten percent, you know, between maybe five to ten percent of the of the population. because I mean as you see, you know, the mountain regions, you know, the mountainous part of Nepal, I mean

I mean if you look at the whole map of Nepal, you know, it’s still a small portion compared to the mid hills and the and the plainlands of Nepal. So yeah, definitely less than ten percent.

Jason (06:52)
That’s it’s interesting because I have a particular interest in adventure travel and tourism and so on my social media feeds, it’s it seems like i every time I come across somebody from Nepal, it seems like

Nima Sherpa (07:04)
Mm-hmm.

Jason (07:05)
they’ll have the same last name or I just don’t make the connection unless I see the last name and then I automatically think of Nepal. So that’s that’s s

Nima Sherpa (07:13)
Sure.

Jason (07:14)
what about so the people working in the mountains.

Are there people that are not sure it almost feels like from my perspective on from the outside looking in, is that you kinda have to be a Sherpa from that community in order to work in the mountains. But is that true?

Nima Sherpa (07:30)
no, I mean this I mean this is you know I mean nowadays you know we have Sherpas that are doctors, we have sherpas that are engineers, you know, we have sherpas that are lawyers. So

Jason (07:39)
Okay. Yeah, sure. Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (07:43)
I mean, you know, you don’t really have to be working up in the mountains, you know, to become to have a last name of Sherpa. I have an uncle who’s a sherpa, he’s a doctor in Pennsylvania. So

Jason (07:53)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (07:54)
You know, so I mean it’s it’s quite generalized right now.

Jason (07:55)
Well I guess I guess I

yeah. I get I get that. That makes that makes total sense. you know, obviously

Nima Sherpa (08:01)
Okay.

Jason (08:02)
your last name doesn’t dictate what you can do with your life. And I’m wondering if people that are not from the Sherpa community, like if I if somebody grew up in Kathmandu has no connection to the Sherpa community but wants to go be a small sherpa in the mountains, is that is that okay? Is that does that happen? Okay.

Nima Sherpa (08:20)
Yeah, that’s possible. Yeah, definitely.

I mean, right now in our industry there’s actually a lot of you know, non Sherpa, you know, people. Yeah. Yeah.

Jason (08:28)
Non Sherpa Sherpas, right?

Nima Sherpa (08:31)
You know, they’re they’re climbing the mountains and doing a lot of stuff, you know. So so

Jason (08:35)
All right.

Nima Sherpa (08:35)
you don’t have to become a a a sherpa ethnically to really, you know, climb a mountain as well, you know. But I mean you could do whatever you want to do.

Jason (08:41)
Which makes makes sense. I just

these are just the silly questions that I ask sometimes. So thank you for thank you for educating me.

Nima Sherpa (08:47)
Yeah, but but it’s a very good question, you know. Yeah, it’s

a it’s a pretty interesting question too.

Jason (08:53)
All right. Now we get to now we get to jump in. I usually start with, you know,

Nima Sherpa (08:57)
Mm-hmm.

Jason (08:57)
hey Nima, tell us about Last Frontiers Trekking. What is it you do? We kind of took a a side tangent about the name, but now let’s give our listeners, you know, before we get into your history and your past and how you got from where you were to where you are now, let’s share with our listeners what is Last

Frontiers Trekking. What is your guys’ specialty? Who do you work with? And how do you serve your clients?

Nima Sherpa (09:19)
Sure. so last Frontiers Trekking is a 40 years plus, you know, travel company based in Kathmandu, Nepal. We are a inbound tour operator plus a DMC for Bhutan, Tibet, Ladakh and Rajasthan in India as well. so and you know and we basically just create you know

custom you know trips you know for any kind of travelers that want to seek a lifetime experience.

Jason (09:49)
So Nima, what I heard you say, you mentioned inbound tour operator, you mentioned DFC, and I know most of our listeners probably know exactly what you’re talking about. But I’d love to hear in your words what is a DMC and kind of what’s maybe unique or specific to your particular DMC?

Nima Sherpa (10:05)
Sure. so a DMC is a destination management company. And what that means is that we here at Last Front is we have you know, working, you know, partners in in Bhutan, in Ladakh, in Rajasthan, and in Tibet. So we collab with, you know, these partners and and create trips and you know, kind of resell these trips to outbound tour operators basically. So that’s what we do.

Jason (10:31)
Yeah, the key is I guess is is kind of resell. So you guys are the ones that make it happen and then maybe someone in, you know, in the US or the UK or somewhere or Australia or whatever is dealing primarily with, you know, directly with the clients. And then you guys are the ones that actually make those trips happen. Is that is is that a fair way to say it?

Nima Sherpa (10:50)
Yes.

Jason (10:51)
Okay. All right.

Nima Sherpa (10:52)
Yes, yes, that’s a pretty fair way, yeah.

Jason (10:55)
Do you work directly with travelers as well? Is that part of your business?

Nima Sherpa (10:59)
we’ve we’ve actually you know started working as a a B2B company. So primarily you know almost about ninety percent of our you know business comes from you know relations from from outdoor to robers. So that’s what we do. you know, there are some clients who are repeated clients, they you know wanna, you know, email us directly.

And you know, we entertain those, you know, inquiries as well. but that’s very few that we do.

Jason (11:27)
So I’m curious about Nepal if is Nepal one of those places that most tour operators work B2B because maybe, you know, clients from the US or Canada or Europe don’t like to book directly with operators on the ground. So they’re more likely to book through an outbound tour operator back home. Or is it is it common for people to just book a trip to Nepal directly with an operator there as well?

Nima Sherpa (11:53)
it’s a it’s pretty mixed, you know, bag of travelers I guess. I mean Nepal is a destination that you know we have a pretty easy access, you know, getting into you know, into the country, you know, you could get a visa, you know, upon arrival.

Jason (12:08)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (12:09)
logistics is pretty simple as well. I mean, you know, you could book a hotel, you know, online and s and probably find a guide, you know, as well just to, you know, hike, you know.

for wherever

Jason (12:19)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (12:20)
wherever you wanna go. but I think but I think you know there’s also a a a number of travelers who you know wanna trust a a company, you know, back home in the US or in North America, you know, they they really trust the company because they’ve traveled with, you know, the company for I don’t know, you know, you

Jason (12:37)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (12:38)
know, several years or in many different trips. So so, you know, I

I really don’t know the ratio, you know, what’s the percentage, you know, of travelers doing, you know, either of the one but but I think, you know, it’s a pretty pretty mixed blend of, you know, travellers who choose direct you know, come directly with us or, you know, go through a outbound tour, you know, in North America.

Jason (13:00)
And I’m I’m wondering, ’cause I can kind of imagine that especially the the heavier trekking trips, like if you’re going to Everest Base Camp, stuff like that, maybe it’s a little different than just going to Kathmandu for a week or something. So it it I but I don’t know. Is so let’s let’s discuss that. Is because I know it’s not just Nepal, you explained that. But for your business in Nepal, is it mostly the mountaineering that I mean part of your business name is trekking, right?

Is it mostly the mountaineering stuff or is there other stuff you get involved with as well? I I just don’t know enough about Nepal to really understand what kind of stuff you even offer.

Nima Sherpa (13:37)
Sure. so let me kinda give you a a little history on on on the name, you know, last French years and the trekking part. So, you know, like I said earlier, you know, my you know it’s been about forty-two plus years I think now that we’re in in business. And and back then, you know, back in nineteen eighty-four when you know we opened up, you know, when my dad opened up this company, I mean

The word trekking is the only word that you you could use to become a a travel company, you know, a company that could take you on a hikes, you know. so yeah, I don’t know if you’re confused, but so you you you yeah. Yeah. So for example,

Jason (14:13)
You see you see the look on my face. When you say it’s the only word you could use like dictated by the government, you

Nima Sherpa (14:20)
so yeah, so for example, you know, I’ll give you an example of of now and then.

So nowadays you could say you know like last frontier’s adventure. Okay. and adventure could become an any kind of adventure. You could do, you know, mountaineering or you could do trekking or you could do leisure, whatever. But back in the eighties, you know, if you say if you if you had said you know last frontier’s adventure, then you know the

the the government offshore would be like, okay, so what what do you do? You know? So if you have last french trekking, then that means that, okay, so you know you are primarily doing a a hiking trips. You know, it’s a company that’s does a hiking trips. You know, so so so that’s how the the the trekking word kinda like attached, you know, with us in yeah.

Jason (15:11)
That’s interesting. So

Nima, what I hear you saying is the government would s like if you want to start up a tourism business in Nepal back in the eighties, if you do trekking stuff, that’s part of your business name. If it’s Last Frontiers food

Nima Sherpa (15:26)
Yes.

Jason (15:26)
food if it’s food tours, then it’s food tours. It’s wow. Okay.

Nima Sherpa (15:28)
You have to have a f a a food, yeah. Yeah. I mean you

yeah, you you couldn’t have like Last Frontiers Explore. I mean what does that mean, right? So yeah, yeah. So yeah, so we’re pretty ancient with that.

Jason (15:38)
Too vague, huh? interesting. So then could you I

I get that I get I I think I understand that. But did you have or did your dad have the flexibility to also do other things or did they just say no, you can only do trucking?

Nima Sherpa (15:53)
yes.

no, yes, definitely. I mean you know we are we are a a travel company. you know, it’s a it’s a very broad, you know. You know, when

Jason (16:02)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Nima Sherpa (16:03)
I say a travel company it’s pretty broad. So we are a travel company. don’t get confused with the name of the company, but so we do everything, you know, we do from you know leisure tour to you know

luxury tours to you know soft hikings. we we don’t do what we don’t do is you know high altitude expeditions so that’s what we don’t do. we used to do that back in the sixties, back in the seventies, but

Jason (16:28)
I know, we’re gonna talk about that in a minute.

Nima Sherpa (16:30)
yeah but but we don’t now yeah.

Jason (16:33)
Okay, yeah, I I get that you are able to do whatever you guys decide you want to do for your business. But if we go back to the 80s, because I’m just curious, I’m gonna touch on this one more time and then we’ll move on. But back in the 80s when you started the business, okay, what kind of business are you? You were a trucking business, so we gotta have trekking in the and the name. But then the question was in the 80s, could you also offer other stuff? Or the government said, No, it says right in your name, you’re tracking, so you can only do trekking.

Back in the eighties. Or were you able to start

doing other things right away? Or your dad, I guess, when he set it up.

Nima Sherpa (17:08)
So so what I know you know legally so far, technically so far is that if you run a tour, just tours, then you should have something saying last frontiers tours.

Okay. so that is still, you know, pretty practical right now. So you know, so companies there are companies who do just tours, their last their their name has a tour on on on the end. so

Jason (17:31)
Okay, interesting. All right.

Nima Sherpa (17:33)
yeah, so there is there is still that variation, but but nowadays, you know, I mean everybody does everything, you know. A a tour company even does a trekking.

Jason (17:42)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (17:42)
a tracking even does a a bit of tours, so it’s a it’s a it’s a mix.

Jason (17:47)
Do

you have issues with with the name? Like let’s say you go to a a trade show somewhere, ’cause you’re doing mostly B to B or almost exclusively B to B. So when you go to a trade show and you’ve got your your logo up trekking, do you people sometimes just walk right past you? ‘Cause no, we don’t do trekking. So is it is is there a bit of

Nima Sherpa (18:06)
That’s true.

Jason (18:06)
a challenge?

Nima Sherpa (18:08)
That’s true. It’s a it’s a challenge. Yeah. I I’ve had that experience you know several years ago when I attended sub trade trade shows as well. you know, yeah, and it’s a little hard to explain, you know. but yeah, but yeah, yeah. We’re making it happen.

Jason (18:19)
That’s why we’re here today. All right. Yeah, very, very cool. All

right. So I think I think now I and hopefully our listeners have a pretty good idea of what you do. You mentioned some of the other countries. do you want to touch on any of those? Is there anything not not necessarily like visa requirements or this or that, but as far as the other countries that you work in as a DMC, do we want to touch on those right now before we before we get into your history?

Nima Sherpa (18:49)
we do you know I I mentioned you know Bhutan, Ladakh, Tibet and a bit of Rajasthan as well. I think you know among those we do quite a bit of Bhutan nowadays. you know, we do some hiking trips in Bhutan. we’ve taken

photo tours in Bhutan as well for several years. We are still planning and there are you know trips in the pipeline as well for Bhutan for photo tours. There are also a couple of photo tours that we do in Ladakh as well. And and a little bit of hiking as well in Ladakh. Tibet we we used to do a lot of Tibet back I don’t know you know twenty years ago or so.

but nowadays we do very few of Tibet, you know, just upon request. Rajasthan, we’ve entered you know selling Rajasthan as well. we’ve you know pitched you know several trips to you know some of the album tour operates as well and we’ll see what happens with that.

Jason (19:42)
Do you have a favorite thing right now that you’re super excited about that either you’ve been doing for a while or you’re in the process of you mentioned pitching some new tr new stuff, but is there something that’s just super exciting for you out of all the stuff you do? I’m sure all of it is. I know it’s all great, but I’m just curious.

Nima Sherpa (20:00)
I mean I I personally like to explore like you know new new small

areas you know if I say destination it kind of makes it sound big but you know small areas as well. you know we we did a scouting trip in Ladakh you know a couple of years ago and that was pretty exciting as well you know going overland you know through a lot of the high plateos you know the valleys and the and the and the rocky roads so these kind of trips kind of like excite me you know all the time and we have you know request you know occasionally

Interesting request. I mean it doesn’t need to be an overland tour. Simple requests like you know we have we had a request where a where a faculty wanted to do a a big puja ceremony in a temple, you know, with some students, so we had to organize everything. So you know we like to experiment and you know use our local network to you know make things happen.

Jason (20:50)
Cool. You mentioned that you don’t really do the high altitude expeditions anymore. I know it’s part of the history of the company. I I guess I don’t really know where do you draw the line at high altitude expedition because so for example, is an Everest base camp track, is that a high altitude expedition, or are we talking about from base camp up? Just give me a little bit of an understanding about that.

Nima Sherpa (21:14)
Sure, sure. so we do small climbing peaks that is less than seven thousand meter. so anything above seven thousand meter would be considered a high altitude you know expedition, you know, a climb. So yeah, that’s what we

Jason (21:27)
Okay. So does that

Nima Sherpa (21:28)
don’t do.

Jason (21:29)
I I’m trying to think even at seven thousand, th th is that do you use oxygen for that or where does I don’t you can tell, I don’t know much. I grew up in the mountains, but we didn’t have any mountains that we had to even think about oxygen. So

Nima Sherpa (21:43)
Sure. Yeah, I mean there are definitely, you know, some mountains and you know I think people do use oxygen you know above seven thousand meter peaks as well. Yeah, yeah.

Jason (21:51)
Above seven. Okay. All right. Hmm.

All right. Very cool. Appreciate that. But and then is the Everest Base Camp track, is that a big part of your business or just it

Nima Sherpa (22:02)
it is, yeah. it has been a big part of of our business and I mean you know there are you know hundreds and hundreds of trekkers that you know come every year to Nepal, you know, just to see the base game as well. besides that, I mean there are definitely other parts of the country that you know we do sell as well and they you know they run pretty good as well.

Jason (22:20)
Sometimes when there’s a p particular place in a country, it gets a lot of attention and the local operators are like, yeah, it’s great, sure, whatever, but everybody goes there and we’ve got a lot of other places that have a lot fewer crowds or are maybe more interesting. Is that is that kind of the case there as well? Like if somebody thinks, I want to go to Nepal and the only thing I’ve ever heard of is Everest Base Camp. So I guess that’s what we should do. But then when you

maybe have a conversation with them or maybe your tour operating partners elsewhere. are there other things that you think are probably just as cool and less crowds?

Nima Sherpa (22:59)
Yeah, yeah. I mean you know they the shift in the

the the shift the shift in the interest of the area definitely changes, you know, every five, six years or maybe in a decade, you know. because, you know, I mean there’s been news that, you know, like Everest is crowded and, you know, stuff like that. So we have seen that that shift as well. I mean, you know, in the recent time now, you know, we have a interest to going to, you know, remote high passes like, you know, in Manaslo area or in the Ernpuna circuit area, you know, these kind of yeah

you know, western part of not far west but you know midwest part of Nepal as well. So yeah, there’s been a a a shift as well. but I mean there’s you know the bucket list is always a bucket list, you know, regardless.

Jason (23:43)
Yeah.

Yeah, I get that. When I asked you kind of like are there some things you’re excited about? You mentioned some things. You mentioned the word overland a few times. I’m I’m trying to envision overland to me might mean something different than you. I guess where I want to go with this is do you actually like trekking? Or like if you’ve got some time and you want to go check something out, are you likely to go out and walk? Or are you into covering more more territory, driving? I just like what do you like to do?

Do like to walk? Is a that’s a long way of saying do you like to walk?

Nima Sherpa (24:14)
So

I’ve I’ve been a guide you know you know for about I think like

ten, twelve years, you know, of my life, you know, when I when

Jason (24:22)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (24:22)
I entered the industry. So as a guide, as a hiking guide as well. so definitely, you know, that that part is still there with me. But if there is an opportunity, I mean if there is a trip that has a combination of a overland drive, then you know we definitely put in, you know, some hiking, you know, excursions as well, you know, just for four hours or so. what yeah, so so it’s

It’s you know, it’s not just only driving but it’s a combination of, you know, some walks as well.

Jason (24:49)
Okay. What should people know about the cultural opportunities to engage with the the local people? I assume that’s part of a lot of the trips that you guys put together. but what what should people that have never been in Nepal know about that?

Nima Sherpa (25:03)
Nepal is a pretty, you know, diverse you know, country. you know, we have you know

pre dominantly Hindu country, you know, with you know Buddhist and Christians and Muslims and, you know, so you know it’s a very well diverse. So it’s not it’s not so mainstream like like Bhutan. You know, if you go to Bhutan then then it’s it’s mostly just Buddhist people, you know, you would see

Jason (25:24)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (25:25)
there. So you know when people travel to Nepal I think I think people feel pretty comfortable just because there’s a blend of culture and you know there’s

I mean definitely, you know, there’s, you know, etiquettes, you know, cultural, you know, norms, things

Jason (25:38)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (25:38)
like that. But but I think, you know, Nepal has been, you know, a a a pretty open country for, you know, travelers that like to explore.

Jason (25:48)
But is it is the cultural connection an important part of the trips that you put together? So I’m envisioning like, do you do home stays? Do you have families and invite people in and have cooking classes or or that type of thing? Is that how does how does that cause that’s something I’m interested in? When I travel I like to

Nima Sherpa (26:09)
Sure,

Jason (26:10)
you know, not

Nima Sherpa (26:10)
sure.

Jason (26:10)
just see the mountains, not just see the nature. I want to connect with the people. So I’m curious if if if that’s a good place to do that and if that’s an important part of your business.

Nima Sherpa (26:20)
Sure, yeah. I mean there’s there’s definitely, you know, that cultural interaction as well. when we design a trip, you know, it’s it’s not only just culture, but it’s you know, there’s an there’s an active part, let’s say a hiking part, a cultural part, you know, a cultural immersive part as well. you know, I mean in the past, you know, we have had trips where we

you know where we took you know guests you know to you know local people home and just had tea and you know and

Jason (26:48)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (26:49)
just you know had chat and stuff like that. like I said earlier, you know, we also have had like you know big puja and ceremonies, you know, at a at a temple as well.

Jason (26:58)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (26:59)
and you know there’s interaction with the monks as well in a monastery. So so we definitely blend you know these the cultural element as well you

know,

on our trips and and it it plays a a pretty important role when we you know design a trip as well.

Jason (27:16)
Yeah, I I would imagine. Let’s get into your history. Cause I know you’ve got a few generations in your family that maybe even more than a few. and I like to get a feel for kind of how you got from where you were to where you are now. We’ve had I had a conversation with you last week and it was pretty fascinating. You sent over some some some photos that I’m gonna put into the show notes. So people listening to this, if you go over to Big World Made Small and and watch Nima’s episode there.

I’ll have some photos and stuff. So usually I just say how far back should we go to get a feel for you? And it it it sounds like it’s gonna go back before you were born. So you pick a day and time and we’ll we’ll and tell us tell us what’s

Nima Sherpa (27:53)
Yeah.

Jason (27:56)
going on that helped you become the man you are.

Nima Sherpa (27:59)
Sure. So let me start from the 50s, 1950s. So my family, my root, you know, we come from Namche Bazaar in the Everest region. So everybody who’ve hiked to Everest Base Camp would definitely stay overnight in Namche Bazaar. So that’s

Jason (28:19)
okay.

Nima Sherpa (28:20)
where my my village is, you know, located. so back in the fifties, you know,

you know, my grandfather, he was he was a pretty entrepreneurial guy as well, very active. and in the fifties, I think one of the first one of the first expedition. I mean at that time, you know, people work to make a living, you know. I mean we still do now, but the importance of you know, being highlighted, you know, getting that fame is

You know, it’s it’s not in their imagination. you know, I was I was kind of going through my history and kind of like you know pulling out you know what my grandfather did and and it’s amazing you know and and I’d love to share you right now. So so in the fifty in the fifties, in fifty two, in the fifty two, in nineteen fifty two, this is just before the Eris expedition, the the famous you know Hillary expedition, that happened

Jason (29:11)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (29:12)
in fifty three. So in fifty two

my grandfather, his name is Pasang Futar Sherpa. And there is this Pasang Futar Sherpa mentioned you know in in the the the Himalayan expedition journals, like there’s this that that name appears with with a one and with a two and with a three. So you know I I get confused with so this same name, but you know, there’s pasang footer one, pasang footer two.

Jason (29:38)
Number one, two, and three. Okay.

Nima Sherpa (29:40)
Yeah, so you know earlier I mentioned you that you know we have you know our names are yeah. Yeah. So

Jason (29:43)
So you do have another last name. It’s one, two, or three. Okay.

Nima Sherpa (29:48)
anyway, in fifty-two, you know, he was in the Swiss you know Ares expedition. that was you know not successful and in fifty two and then in fifty three of course you know he joined the the the famous you know Hillary expedition.

And the way the way the how he got into the into the expedition is basically he was a very good you know friend of Tenzing Norge Sherpa. Penzing Norgesherpa you know comes from you know the Tami village up west of Namcho Bazaar. And you know at that time, you know, my grandfather

My grandfather was, you know, a very friendly guy. He was entrepreneurial guy, like I said. He likes to make friends and you know somehow he got involved in the nineteen fifty three expedition. and on that particular expedition he was one of the five or the six high altitude porter that went up to South Cole twice, you know, carrying supplies. you know, you know, I mean of course he di

you know, he didn’t make up to you know Everest. That was probably you know only f you know some hundred meters you know above but but you know that was his strength, you know, at that expedition, you know, going twice. then in nineteen fifty six sure

Jason (31:01)
I have a I have a question for you. I’m gonna ask

you a question you might not know the answer to, but maybe maybe you do. so I imagine a scenario where he’s involved in the expedition, he’s carrying stuff up the mountain, stopping kind of just short of the summit, is what it sounded like you said. Do you think it

Nima Sherpa (31:19)
Mm-hmm. Uh-huh.

Jason (31:22)
would would have been frustrating for him not to keep going, or did he

even do you think you even cared? What’s the what’s the culture around like do these guys that work on the mountain even care about going to the summit or is or do they feel like they they how does that work?

Nima Sherpa (31:36)
No, no, I mean I no. I mean

at I mean at that time, you know, you nobody cares about fame, you know, it’s it’s all about, you know, getting the job done, right? So, you know, I mean that’s what

Jason (31:46)
Well, I wouldn’t say nobody. I think there were a few people

that cared about the fame, but maybe they weren’t the Sherpas.

Nima Sherpa (31:51)
yeah, but I think but I think, you know, I mean like I said, you know, my grandfather was a very hard working person, you know, so

Jason (31:58)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (31:59)
he you know he was you know, he wanted job to be done, you know. and you know, I mean that’s what, you know, he did, you know, carrying twice up to South Pole, you know.

so yeah. I mean I don’t know what he had in mind, you know, if he wanted to go above or not, but that’s a different that’s a different podcast we do.

Jason (32:15)
Well and I’m asking yeah, I I don’t know how you’d know. I was just curious if if that if that might have come up. You mentioned that he was entrepreneurial, hardworking, valued getting the job done. before the these people started showing up wanting to climb the mountain, what kind of work was he doing? it sounds like maybe a variety of things. Or what was life what what was life like for your grandpa before this the this started?

Nima Sherpa (32:34)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. Sure, sure, yeah.

So yeah, so just small pitch here. It’s not a sales pitch, but my dad

Jason (32:45)
Ha.

Nima Sherpa (32:46)
just launched a a book. It’s called I am a Sherpa of of

Jason (32:49)
I wasn’t expecting this. Go ahead.

Nima Sherpa (32:51)
of Mount Erest. I’m a Sherpa f of Mount Everest. Okay, that’s this is his book. it it

Jason (32:56)
All right. Very cool.

Nima Sherpa (32:57)
was just launched like two days ago.

And anyway,

Jason (33:00)
Nice.

Nima Sherpa (33:01)
you know, that has everything, but I mean I know a bit of pieces as well. So my my grandfather, you know, at that time, b in the fifties, in the early fifties, or actually in the in the forties, so my grandfather was a you know he was a he was trading a lot, you know, going to Tibet, you know, going across Tibet and you know getting because at that at that time you could

go over the Nanghala Pass and go into Tibet, you know, you know, camp for like, you know, several nights, go to Tibet and get, you know, yak butter, yak meat, you know, salt,

Jason (33:35)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (33:36)
you know, and and bring bring back to the to the village, you know. So that was his kind of job. And my my dad had also mentioned that when he went, you know, to the to the Tibetan side

I’ve heard that you know he actually at back and back in those days I think there was a Swiss Swiss watch called West End. and and he used to I guess you know smuggle and or just you know carry that from from Kumbu to the the Tibetan border and sell it. And and there were occasions that I heard that you know he used to tie

tie those watch on the on the on the tail of the yak, you know, so that because at that time at that time, well, not at that time, but in the in the in nineteen fifty nine, you know, when when China China was basically occupying Tibet you know I think nineteen fifty nine somewhere around there there was still you know like army patrolling happening you know at that time

Jason (34:34)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (34:35)
so so they used to tie up you know the watches on the yak tail and you know and

And have it you know, smuggled or carried into Tibet. You know, so so that’s so anyway, I mean

Jason (34:43)
So so he was a watch watch smuggler. All right. All right, that’s that’s cool.

Nima Sherpa (34:51)
you know, that kind of stuff and and and he was pretty good in you know organizing you know like people, you know, he could, you know, get like let’s say you know you need X amount of, you know, podters, right? So he was like you know, he was like the leader, you know, he could really organize like, you know, twenty people at a time, you know. So

so yeah, so so that was that was the kind of you know, personality, you know, of my of my grandfather.

Jason (35:16)
I I I gotta ask you I don’t know where I’m going with this. I might edit it out later, but you said that he tied the watches to the yak tails. And I’m thinking some smugglers these days hide things a little further north than the tail, I guess. Is so I’m wondering if this is this is what your grandpa said. Yeah,

Nima Sherpa (35:31)
Yeah. Further huh

Jason (35:37)
we tied him to the tail. I’m thinking, No, he didn’t. He shoved him in the yak’s butt and then they pulled him out when they got where they were going. But whatever.

Nima Sherpa (35:39)
Well yeah

I No i no it it

Jason (35:44)
His story.

Nima Sherpa (35:46)
didn’t go up further north. But but but it went further up north the the country.

Jason (35:47)
Uh-huh. He just he just had a

Yeah, well, I was thinking close to the tail, but you know, ’cause it but it’s probably hard to sell the

Nima Sherpa (35:56)
Yeah.

Jason (35:56)
watches when you say, well, I brought over in inside of the yaks, but it’s much better to

Nima Sherpa (36:00)
Yeah.

Jason (36:01)
say they were just tied to the tail. So okay, well, I won’t very, very cool. All right, so so where were we? I got distracted by that. but so how did then

Your how did we get from your grandpa who was doing some really cool stuff to now your dad starting a trekking business or a travel business? How did

Nima Sherpa (36:21)
Sure.

Jason (36:21)
how did that come about?

Nima Sherpa (36:23)
Sure. So so you know I mean in the fifties and even in the sixties, you know, my grandfather has a pretty good history, you know, of of being involved in a lot of the Himalayan expeditions.

Jason (36:36)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (36:37)
and

And I also want to mention that my maternal you know grandfather, my mom’s dad, he was also involved because he also comes from Namce Bazaar, and he was also involved in expeditions. his name is Ilat Siring Sherpa, and he was involved in the 1963 American expedition, the first American expedition, and with William Sold and Tom Hornbein.

and on that particular expedition, I think from that particular expedition, he was invited to DC. I think there were like five Sherpas at the time, and they were invited to Washington, D.C. and and got a a Hubbard medal from John F. Kennedy back

Jason (37:17)
cool.

Nima Sherpa (37:17)
in the 60s. Yeah. So but anyway, so that’s my my

Jason (37:20)
I bet that I bet that was

but I bet that was a big thing to come back to Nepal in

Nima Sherpa (37:24)
Yes, definitely.

Jason (37:25)
the sixties with a medal that JFK gave you for participating in those that’s that’s pretty cool. I you know, okay.

Nima Sherpa (37:32)
Yeah. So so

that’s that’s my maternal, you know, grandfather. I mean everybody was kinda somehow involved in, you know, like expeditions, you know, back then.

Jason (37:40)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (37:41)
But anyway, so so back in the so you know fifties, sixties, my and even in the late seventies, my you know, grandfather was in you know, quite involved with expeditions. I you know, I my my dad used to tell me, you know, at that time, you know,

People used to bring like hard, you know, big, you know, stack of cash and come to your counter and say, okay, you know, okay, I wanna go climb this mountain. You know, that’s what people used to say, you know, like climbers. That was

Jason (38:07)
Uh-huh. Okay.

Nima Sherpa (38:09)
the time, you know, in the in the in the 70s. and then in the 80s, you know, my dad joined the the industry and

When my when my grandfather ran ran a a a a trekking company, it was it was a different name. It wasn’t Last Frontiers. But in nineteen eighty-four, you know, my dad, you know, opened you know, renamed or opened up you know, Last Frontiers Tracking. And my dad was also quite you know

involved with my grandfather on his some of his expeditions. my dad tells me that, you know, one of this expedition with you know with searching the snow leopard

Jason (38:46)
Mm.

Nima Sherpa (38:47)
sorry sear searching the snowman the the yeti you know so yeah in the in

Jason (38:50)
the Yeti, yeah. Yeah.

Nima Sherpa (38:53)
the in the I believe in the 50s like 1957 there was an American expedition a Yeti search expedition with I believe it’s with Tom Silk he like a Texan multimillionaire at the time and that was financed by him I guess and s I guess somehow

Jason (39:09)
Okay, I g I gotta ask

I gotta ask, and maybe you were getting to this and I apologize for cutting you off, but so if you are a Nepalese

Nima Sherpa (39:19)
Mm.

Jason (39:19)
Sherpa back in the 50s and someone shows up and finances this big expedition to go look for Yeti, are you thinking these people are crazy, but will play along? Or

Did the local people actually it was this these are stories have been passed down? Did local people believe that a Yeti existed? Or was it just like, sure, if you wanna come drop a bunch of money, we’ll take you to go look for the Yeti?

Nima Sherpa (39:44)
I I think I mean i you know if if if

if I was in the fifties, then I would also definitely say these people were crazy. You know, I mean

Jason (39:53)
Yeah.

Nima Sherpa (39:53)
crazy just even climbing mountains as well, you know, because because at

Jason (39:56)
No, th there is that, yeah.

Nima Sherpa (39:58)
that time, yeah, because you know I mean almost all the mountains are very sacred to us, you know, they are a sacred mountain to us, you know.

Jason (40:04)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (40:04)
I mean of course now it’s very much commercialized right now, but but you know who knew that you know Everest would be, you know, climbed by like, you know, thousands of people by now, you know. So so yeah, I mean definitely.

the in the fift in the in the 50s you know I mean you’d expect you know these travelers to become you know quite crazy you know I mean who would say

Jason (40:24)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (40:25)
but why why why are they here you know so yeah yeah

Jason (40:27)
Mm-hmm. But okay, we’ll play along. Yeah. Yeah. All right.

Nima Sherpa (40:31)
so anyway I mean so you know my dad was involved with you know my my grandfather you know you know

Yeti search, you know, expedition and few other expeditions than then in the eight in the eighties, in eighty four, you know, last frontiers, you know, happened. and then and then basically he carried on, you know, he

for for many years and and then I joined in two thousand and two. so yeah.

Jason (40:54)
Okay, let’s let’s

touch on let’s touch on this because I don’t know how old you are, but if I do I know when I was born and we’re probably kinda close. I don’t know, you might be a bit younger, but what were you doing in nineteen eighty four when you started the business? Were you around? Do you remember any of this? I’d love to kind of hear your child your child

Nima Sherpa (41:11)
Yes.

Jason (41:12)
a little bit about your childhood with your dad

Nima Sherpa (41:14)
Sure.

Jason (41:15)
running this business.

Nima Sherpa (41:17)
Yeah, I I do remember you know a few events as well and you know things happening at home. you know my in the in the eight in the eighties you know tourism was kinda like you know picking up in Nepal with you know a lot of you know expeditions of course and trekking and hikings as well.

I think I think I think at that time I was probably about five years old or six years old, somewhere around there probably. and I would I would I would you know I would

I would see, you know, like clients, you know, coming into the office. I would see, you know, trekkers, travelers in into the office. in in several occasions, that’s that’s much later than eighties, that’s in the in the nineties. you know, we had a I mean we have a house and there was a backyard and

tents pitching up as a kid I used to run through the tents, you know. And

Jason (42:06)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (42:07)
you know, me and my brother used to run through the tents and you know and and it was it was quite fun. And and we used to, you know, my dad and mom used to host you know travelers to our house and they used to get, you know, you know local, you know, sherpa food as well, you know, at home.

Jason (42:22)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (42:23)
that’s where your cultural immersion, you know, comes from.

Jason (42:25)
Yeah, I guess so. Sounds like it.

Nima Sherpa (42:27)
so yeah, so it’s so so I’ve I’ve I’ve

grown up a little bit, you know, kind of seeing travelers and and yeah.

Jason (42:34)
Did you did you enjoy

did you enjoy that? Do you remember back to where those fond memories? It looks like it ’cause I see the look on your face. But having these these travelers that maybe you thought were weird, crazy, I don’t know. I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but what was it like having them around? You said you’d run around in the tents and you and your I think your brother, but what are your memories

Nima Sherpa (42:55)
Yeah.

Jason (42:56)
of like were these people fun, cool to sit down with? Did they bring you gifts? Did you guys exchange things? What was that like?

Nima Sherpa (43:01)
Yeah, yeah, we

Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean you know there were there were several and many occasions where we used to host you know dinners for for for the trekkers, you know. I remember we used to host dinners for like a lot of Australian, you know, trekkers. there are several Australian trekkers that are my dad’s very best friend now. They’ve been friends for the last forty some years, I guess. a lot of Japanese you know trekkers. we used to do a lot of Japanese trekkers, back

in the in the 70s and also did in the 80s as well. So when they came, you know, at homes, it used to be it used to be a little bit of fun because you know they used to have gifts for us. You know, I remember we used

Jason (43:43)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (43:43)
to have at at some occasions we we had a lot of small koalas, you know, like they bring koalas, koala beer. Yeah,

Jason (43:49)
yeah, yeah, right.

Nima Sherpa (43:51)
the Australians. So you know we I mean and we used to have you know like several you know at home and

You know, small

Jason (43:57)
Uh-huh.

Nima Sherpa (43:57)
small gifts, you know. So and

Jason (43:59)
Was that

Nima Sherpa (44:00)
and and y and the food was, you know, I mean, cooked by my mom and you know, and

Jason (44:04)
Yeah.

Nima Sherpa (44:04)
that was that was the time when we had a lot of food, you know, I mean a lot of variety of food, you know, so so it is a

Jason (44:10)
Yeah, that’s cool.

Nima Sherpa (44:11)
big party.

Jason (44:12)
Was was that a typical childhood for like your friends, other people in the community? Was it like everybody in the community has backpackers in their backpack backyard? Or was it kind of a unique thing, I guess, for for you and your family?

Nima Sherpa (44:27)
so I so I my schooling and my friends like I said earlier, you know, like Sherpa is still a minority, you know, in in Nepal. So at

Jason (44:36)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (44:36)
that time I was probably the only Sherpa, you know, among my friends. so it was definitely it was definitely probably my home only had that, you know, opportunity to have, you know, travelers and you know

Jason (44:46)
We’re okay.

Maybe I got lost. We’re was this in the village where you grew grew up? But sounds like it was or are we in Kathmandu at this point? okay, okay. That’s why I got okay.

Nima Sherpa (44:54)
No no no, sorry, this is in the city. Yes. Yes.

Jason (45:00)
I okay, so then so then my next question makes sense. Do you think that the other kids thought it was cool? Were they jealous that you had a bunch of tourists hanging around bringing you qualabers? Did they did they think that was cool or they couldn’t?

Couldn’t care less. Do you remember any of that?

Nima Sherpa (45:17)
I mean I I don’t think they really cared, you know. and most of the time actually my schooling I was

I actually spent a lot of time in a in a boarding school in a hostel.

Jason (45:29)
Okay.

Nima Sherpa (45:29)
you know. and you know sometime when I used to come home then those were the time when the travelers used to be at home as well, you know, for a dinner as well. So so yeah, I mean I wouldn’t, you know, share a lot, you know, with my friends, you know, going back to the boarding school again. So so yeah, I mean it was you know, it was just within myself in all of those, you know, memories.

Where is that?

Jason (45:50)
Got

it. When you were if you could reflect back to when you were going to school, maybe around that age time frame, do you remember what you wanted to do? If I had a time machine and I went back and said, Nema, what do you want to do when you grow up? Do you know what that answer would have been?

W was it was it I wanna I wanna

Nima Sherpa (46:05)
Frankly saying I don’t know.

Jason (46:06)
carry things up mountains, or did you have something else in mind at the top?

Nima Sherpa (46:10)
no, Frankie’s saying I don’t know. because you know you know I you know I was I was still young, you know, not so you know matured, and you know I I mean

So yeah, I I I don’t think I had, you know, an ambition, you know, per se, you know, at that at that age, you know, at a at a younger age. But I mean, but I loved, you know, like, you know, hiking with my my dad and my brother. We, you know, we went a couple of places. We went to the national park, you know, as a family, you know, back then. I enjoyed that. and you know right now I this is what I’m doing, you know.

Jason (46:48)
Yeah, yeah. And

because we because we spoke last week, I know a little bit more of your story as well. And we’re gonna get there in just a second. But I’m curious geez, I started that and then I kinda lost my train of thought. But the at some point you made a decision of what you wanted to do. So do you remember how old you were when you had that first moment of, I think I know what I want to do? And it doesn’t have to be what you’re doing now, because I know you went and did something else for a while.

So do you remember that moment of okay, hey, this is my thing?

Nima Sherpa (47:18)
well, you know, I t I mean this is this is what I see life, you know, and and your your path, right? So this is what I see is that, you know, sometime you know there’s

There’s, you know, an interest kind of like, you know, drives you to do something. sometimes there’s obligation. Sometimes there is like, you know, that’s it’s not an obligation, but that’s really important that that you need to kind of like, you know, divert, you know, whatever you’re doing. I think for me it was kind of important for

you know, in my life, you know, for what my dad was doing, that I had to follow him. there was a you know time that that I had to come back, you know, to Nepal. I was studying in the US and I had to come back so

Jason (48:03)
Yeah, that’s where I wanted to get to

is like what you know, what kind of led up to you leaving Nepal to go to the US to study. and you know, so a little bit more about that if you don’t mind. ‘Cause I think it’s interesting.

Nima Sherpa (48:14)
Sure.

Sure. So I so just about when I finished high school, I you know I I went to US back in the nineteen sixties. in in sorry nineteen ninety six.

Jason (48:25)
Yeah.

Nima Sherpa (48:26)
I went to US in a in a flatland of Indiana. I I

Jason (48:30)
Mm. From from the Himalayans

from Nepal to Indiana. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (48:34)
Yeah, from Kathmandu to the to the pornfield.

I definitely have to thank my my my uncle who’s a who’s a family practitioner, a physician in Pennsylvania right now. he went to the the the same college, you know, that I joined in nineteen ninety six. and I went there

initially, you know, I was I thought I was gonna do a a biochemistry, you know, major. you know, on my fourth year I said, you know, this doesn’t make sense. I I gotta do something else better. And then I switched my

Jason (49:03)
It took you four it four years, huh? That’s all.

Nima Sherpa (49:06)
well, it took me about three years, actually. so

Jason (49:08)
huh.

Nima Sherpa (49:09)
So in my junior year, you know, I switched my major to computer science. and w it was a pretty good decision at that time, I thought, because you know, the the the the the internet was up, you know, there was, you know,

Jason (49:20)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (49:21)
IT was was kinda, you know, coming up. and then you know, then I then I you know graduated in 2001 and unfortunately that was also the time when the the the the e-commerce, the IT kinda like, you know, went down.

And

There were you know various jobs and entry label jobs, you know, for a a freshly you know undergrad student, right? and freshly

Jason (49:44)
Yeah, yeah. T tough timing.

Nima Sherpa (49:46)
intern international undergrad students. So so then you know that was also the time when my dad back in Kathmandu you know was you know going through a a a lot of challenges with his other business. he used to own he used to own with his other founders.

there’s an airlines company the airlines company that used to fly to remote you know you know airfields like like in the Everest area you know so it was some challenging time for him and and he was you know and he needed help basically you know to look after

Jason (50:20)
Yeah, and you’re an you’re an unemployed unemployed

computer science recent graduate in the US with probably no visa prospects to stay. It probably made sense to go back.

Nima Sherpa (50:23)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That’s true. That’s true. So

so yeah, so I I said, heck, you know, like I mean there is something for me to do back home, right?

And and and like I said earlier, you know, I’ve I’ve spent a lot of time outside of my house. like spent almost my entire, you know, like high schooling in a boarding school, you know, being away from home and then went away to the US for five years, you know, still away from home. And you know, when when that time came in two thousand and one, right after I graduated, actually came back in two thousand and two. So

That was the time, you know, and I said, okay, now it I think it gotta make sense, right? And and and sometimes, you know, you make a decision and it just you know, it just you know works itself well, you know. So you I I don’t think anybody needs to really have a concrete plan. I mean, as long as you know, you you kinda realize, you kinda get that feeling, you know, at that certain age,

You know, you gotta you know, you have to, you know, make that move, you know, regardless of anything, right? And and and it and it happens for a good, you know, so so so looking back right now, you know, I I you know, I would say I I wouldn’t be a programmer’s, you know, sitting on a computer, right? You know, doing a nine to five job, right? I mean I

Jason (51:47)
Yeah.

Nima Sherpa (51:47)
I enjoy what I do right now.

Jason (51:49)
Have you do you feel I mean, there’s always some value in learning and exposing

Nima Sherpa (51:53)
Yeah.

Jason (51:54)
yourself to new things. I get that. But have you actually used the what you learned about computer science specifically? Have you used any of those skills in your business in the last I don’t know, geez, twenty some years?

Nima Sherpa (52:10)
Yeah, yeah. I mean I was you know in my in my college life, you know, I I actually worked at the the IT department of the school.

Jason (52:20)
Okay.

Nima Sherpa (52:21)
so as a as a you know, as a a lab technician as well. So that kinda helped. you know, I mean the the programming, the coding doesn’t help, but the lab technician kinda helps because, you know, I mean we have a small setup in the office, you know, I I set up, you know, you know, everything, you know, a local area

Jason (52:36)
Okay. All

Nima Sherpa (52:38)
network and everything. So so that kinda helped a little bit. Yeah and

Jason (52:39)
right. Yeah, that comes in handy. Yeah, yeah.

Nima Sherpa (52:42)
yeah and also you know with the with the new you know in the recent in the recent you know like this AI generation right now, you know

since I have a a little interest, you know, in

Jason (52:54)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (52:54)
in just information technology and you know everything, it it kinda like, you know, gets me interested more into, you know, the the AI and whatever is evolving right now. So so I think I think yeah, I

Jason (53:06)
It’s interesting, isn’t it? Yeah.

Nima Sherpa (53:08)
yeah, I think I think this is that that was, you know, a little bit helpful as well, just to build my, you know, personality and interest.

Jason (53:15)
Yeah, yeah. It’s I was a computer science major. I’ve been to school twice and the second time I went in, computer science, yep, that’s what I’m gonna do. And I made it to the end of the first semester and realized that

sitting in front of the computer trying to code was not like a good long term plan. I was still interested

Nima Sherpa (53:37)
Yeah.

Jason (53:37)
in it. I thought it was pretty cool, but I thought, you know what, this is I I cannot commit to doing this every day for, you know, the next

Nima Sherpa (53:44)
Yeah.

Jason (53:44)
even three or four years, much less the rest of my life. But but now with the technology and the AI, I suspect you can appreciate it and probably take advantage of it more than I can. But I’m super interested. You know, I’m going in, I’m like,

Nima Sherpa (53:56)
Yeah. Yes.

Jason (53:59)
I can use AI to write all this code that I really did not want to learn back in the day. And now I’m feeling pretty smart about

Nima Sherpa (54:05)
That’s true.

Jason (54:06)
myself. I’m like, it’s a good thing I didn’t spend a lot of time learning how to do that because I don’t have to. Now I can just, you know,

Nima Sherpa (54:10)
Ha ha.

Jason (54:11)
but anyway, that’s another another issue. But

Nima Sherpa (54:14)
Yeah.

Jason (54:14)
so you so you came back, your dad had the airline thing going on. I don’t know if that’s something we want to discuss more or just kind of how did you like when you came back, okay, dad, I’m here, like how did you transition to, you know, hit hitting the ground running and how did how involved did

Nima Sherpa (54:29)
Sure, sure, sure.

Jason (54:32)
you get right away and then kind of walk us through that? ‘Cause I

Nima Sherpa (54:34)
Yeah.

Jason (54:34)
it’s a while ago.

Nima Sherpa (54:36)
Yeah. And and at least I mean it took me at least a year and a half to kinda like get situated you know in in the country, and in whatever things that was happening, you know, within within the family and the workspace as well.

Jason (54:49)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (54:49)
because you know I think I was probably like twenty one, you know, I mean I mean you know

And you you suddenly you are in Nepal at the age of twenty one.

And you are like a little, you know, shocked as well. Like things are not moving fast, you know, in Nepal

Jason (55:07)
okay, yeah.

Nima Sherpa (55:07)
and you know, so so you know, things move slow, you know, government, you know, you know, work, you know, things like that move slow. So it it was it took me a little time just to understand just the culture, you know, like I mean of course, you know, I’m brought up here, but still, you know, being in the US for so many years and coming back was still a little bit of you know adjustment there as well.

but but i think but i think i got a pretty hang on you know of you know of the business and kind of like started off you know being a guide you know as a guide so you know I started I think that was probably 2004 when I started as a as a guide for of course for my company and

And then at that time, we used to run a lot of trips for RA Adventures back then. so they were, you know, I mean we we were their local partner from actually from 1987 or 86. I think that’s the year when they you know opened up RA Adventures.

Jason (56:09)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (56:09)
And then and they of I mean we were their local partners for

thirty s thirty years and then you know now they’ve shut down, you know, I’m in their own operation. but I guided for RA adventure trips in Nepal from two thousand four until fourteen for about ten years.

Jason (56:26)
Do you think

do you think your time in the US cause I heard you mention like when you got back it was a little bit of an adjustment period? and I get that. But in the long run, or maybe even when you started guiding and working with REI clients, do you think that your time in the US was like hugely helpful, a little helpful, or not at all? I would imagine

Nima Sherpa (56:45)
Yes. No, definitely.

Jason (56:47)
it would be.

Nima Sherpa (56:47)
Definitely yeah, definitely helpful because because I mean when you live when you study in the US then then you n you know a little you know, small, you know, stuff of you know, American

Jason (56:59)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (56:59)
I mean

I wouldn’t say American culture, but you know, like how Americans behave or, you know, like

Jason (57:05)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (57:06)
what really ticks them, what really offs them, you know, like so, you know, there are small stuff that somebody who who just live in Nepal for many years would probably not have an idea. You know, there are there are jokes from and and and comedy episode, right? I mean

Jason (57:22)
Mm-hmm.

Nima Sherpa (57:22)
I mean

a a a local guy here wouldn’t understand the joke, you know, what’s happening, you know, your your trekkers are smiling and you know. So yeah, definitely for me it was it was a a definitely a plus advantage, you know, because, you know, I lived there, you know, you know, and I had you know, several, you know, American friends as well. so it kinda helped. Yeah, I you know, in a good way.

Jason (57:44)
Did you envision when you came back and started out as a guide, which makes sense? That seems like a really good place to start. was it very clear to you that okay, I’m starting as a guide and I’ll end up taking the business over someday? Or was it I’m just here to help my dad out and I’ll be a guide until he does need my help and then I’ll go get a computer science job? Or what I mean, what what were you thinking at the time? Do you remember?

Nima Sherpa (58:09)
I think I think at that time back in two thousand and two when I came and in two thousand and four when I started guiding, I mean my my my my only interest was basically to kinda like help my dad with the business. you know, have you know guides, have myself as a guide to, you know, co-lead, you know, some of the his trips in Nepal.

So so maybe for maybe for you know a couple of years that was kinda the interest, just helping him. but but slowly, you know, I I I you know things kinda like interest me a lot. just just the idea of just interacting people and just showing my culture. I mean I used to go through Namchi Bazaar, my village, you know, several times, you know, in a year. So I mean so it was kinda fun, you know, it was kinda fun and and and that fun kinda

kinda like in a transition for me to s to look and say hey you know I think this is what I want to do like you know for long term you know so so yeah so yeah so yeah so that’s that’s what happened slowly

Jason (59:13)
Did you gradually go from the guiding into getting more involved in the business or was it like you guided right up until this point and then all of a sudden you switched over to a new job or how did ’cause I can imagine it kind of morphs into where you’re at now, but I don’t know.

Nima Sherpa (59:27)
Sure, sure,

sure.

So yeah, so so you know I think I think in any industries, you know, you know, I mean there are your you know, you have roots, you know, you have people under roots, right? So I mean especially for for a trekking company, you know, my my other guides, my you know, assistant guides, my porters, my kitchen crew, you know, those are the people that I need to understand, right? and and and guiding, you know, you know, trekkers and

and having those local, you know, crew members as my colleagues, you know, that kinda shaped me and, you know, made me much aware of of my responsibility as a as a director now, you know, because I think I think

almost all the time what we do is is basically to, you know, generate, you know, jobs, you know, for for for the for the local, you know, people in Nepal. And and yeah, I mean and then you know after after several after several years, I think that was probably in two thousand and eight or nine, that I kinda like, you know, said, okay, hey, now I think I wanna go and

and attend some you know like travel conferences you know that’s that’s when I did and I so so that kind of you know evolved in for me in you know kind of getting into more into like marketing and kind of sales part of the of the job

Jason (1:00:52)
Right. Yeah. Do do you have a f do you have a favorite part of the job?

Nima Sherpa (1:00:56)
Creating interesting, challenging itineraries. Yeah.

Jason (1:01:00)
Okay. All right. And

presumably you’ve got other people around you that do some of that as well. So I suspect like you probably don’t have to do that part of the business. You could probably have somebody do it, but it sounds like that’s the part you enjoy actually hands on doing that. That’s cool.

Nima Sherpa (1:01:16)
Yes,

I we I I have a small team but I’m pretty hands-on when I kinda like you know, create trips, you know, for my l my partners. So

Jason (1:01:28)
Cool.

Nima Sherpa (1:01:28)
and I love that I I love doing that because

because when you create a trip, I mean it’s also a expression of your personality, of your character.

Jason (1:01:36)
Yeah, yeah, that’s cool.

Nima Sherpa (1:01:38)
and and I like I said, you know, I I think I understand, you know, North American clients. and I love to be hands-on on what I create. Once I create it, then I just give it off to my, you know, my my staff and my colleagues, you know, to, you know, make it happen, you know, logistics, you know.

Jason (1:01:52)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I get that. I I can relate to that. I I worked in the business for quite a while creating itineraries and that was it was just fun. That was I don’t know. What’s the least favorite part?

Nima Sherpa (1:02:05)
I don’t know. I guess the least favorite part is like you know like this is an industry that you have to be patient. You know you work you work with a a a partner let’s say in North America, right? things don’t happen overnight. I mean of course in in other industry also things don’t happen overnight.

But for us, let’s say, let’s say I put a photo tours, you know, for somebody. it takes at least a year and a half or two years to really have that partner, you know, sell it to his or her clients, and then eventually we have something happening, you know, in the next two years, you know. So

Jason (1:02:47)
Mm-hmm. Yep, yep.

Nima Sherpa (1:02:49)
so that’s the that’s the hard part of the business that that you really need to be patient to wait.

Jason (1:02:56)
‘Cause that that could be a challenge because you put in so much time, energy, passion and creating an a new product, a new itinerary, and it’s like your little baby and you want to present it to the world and then it takes a year or two before anybody realizes, this

Nima Sherpa (1:03:10)
Definitely.

Jason (1:03:11)
is really cool and and you start to see you start to have clients coming doing the trip and and writing the reviews or getting the feedback that, you

Nima Sherpa (1:03:18)
Yeah.

Jason (1:03:19)
know, that I think most of us that work in tourism kind of like to read reviews and

like to feel like people really, you know, e enjoyed the experience that we’ve put together for them. But yeah, it can take a while, can it? So all right. Very cool.

Nima Sherpa (1:03:32)
Yeah, it does. Yeah.

Jason (1:03:33)
Nima, we’ve we’ve discussed a bunch. I know we could come back and probably have two or three more conversations minimum to try and capture all of it. But

Nima Sherpa (1:03:41)
Yeah.

Jason (1:03:42)
I want I’m curious, what do you on if for this conversation, what do you wish I would have asked you or what do you, you know, what do you think maybe I forgot to ask you that I should have that you’d like to share with our listeners before we wrap up.

Nima Sherpa (1:03:53)
I mean I think I think this has been a it is a it has been a pretty fun you know conversation with you Jason. I mean

Jason (1:03:59)
Well, thank you.

Nima Sherpa (1:04:00)
I’ve watched, you know I’ve watched you know, several of your, you know, other other episodes as well and you know I I I find it very interesting. I think I think I think this this platform basically gives, you know, someone like me to really, you know, talk about my history, you know, my roots, you know, what we are passionate about, and what we continue to do.

as well. I I think I think definitely I mean we would probably have another episode to talk about something else but I think I think I think we’ve covered up, you know, pretty much everything. and yeah and it’s just been fun, you know, chatting with you.

Jason (1:04:32)
Well, thank

you. It it’s nice to hear that and I gotta tell ya, I am so freaking

Nima Sherpa (1:04:37)
Yeah.

Jason (1:04:39)
lucky that I get to have these conversations. I mean, how cool is it that I got to wake up this morning, it’s the end of the day there, you’re getting ready for bed, but I get to wake up this morning and reach out across the world to have a fascinating conversation with, you know, a a Sherpa, big ass and little ass, and and learn so much. And I just I feel very fortunate. So thank you for

being part of my day today and part of this part of this show. And it’s great that other people get to listen to this conversation as well. Nemo, we’re obviously going to have a link to your website in the show notes. We’ve gonna have some photos, which is a little different. so, but I I asked you, you mentioned you had some, so we’re gonna figure out a way to plug those into the page so people can enjoy that as well. See some of the people that maybe we were talking about today. And yeah, so anybody that’s listening, you know, there’s a lot of

outbound tour operators, a lot of travel agents, a lot of people that that I think would do really well to connect with you. So Nima, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. All right. Have a have a good

Nima Sherpa (1:05:32)
Awesome. Thank you, yeah. Thank you, Jason.

Jason (1:05:36)
all right. Have a good night. Thanks, Nima. Bye.

Nima Sherpa (1:05:38)
Thanks,

have a great day. Bye.

 

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