E-Kantipur

FEB 06 - Tashi Sherpa was involved in the garment industry and had been exporting garments to South Korea, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India for 30 years, when in 2003, he chanced upon a huge picture of his uncle on a billboard in New York.

The reason? New York was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ascent of Mt. Everest, with a big picture of his uncle, who was a mountaineer. Sherpa then decided to do something—Everest had done so much for his country, for his uncle, and in turn, he decided to do something for Nepal and his people.

Sherpa Adventure Gear was thus founded in 2003, seeking to provide quality mountaineering gear made in Nepal. Though the head office is in Seattle, the company currently distributes to the U.S., Argentina, Canada, Japan, Scandinavia, and Switzerland, with Brazil and South Africa to soon join the bandwagon. Its Nepal outlet opened in Sept. 2009, close to Jai Nepal in Hattisar.

Sherpa runs Sherpa Adventure Gear with his daughter Tsedo Sherpa. And though their head office is in the U.S., Ang Phurba, mountaineer and manager of the Nepal office, says that there are only around 10-15 Americans in the entire corporation, who are  mainly “technical advisors”. The majority of those involved are Nepali Sherpas. “Ever since the company  opened, Sherpa started giving training to Nepalis on how to manufacture garments,” he says. “Since 2009, 95 percent of our goods have been manufactured in Nepal.”

The company aims at introducing high quality mountaineering equipment at slightly more affordable prices to the Nepali market. All of their products have been manufactured under the highest possible standards, and, as mentioned before, by Nepalis. In fact, Sherpa Adventure Gear believes it faces the most competition, in Nepal, from The North Face and Mountain Hardwear—companies that are associated with an immediate brand recall when one thinks of mountaineering equipment. “The fact that a Nepali is actually competing with these other huge multinationals is a matter of pride to me,” says Phurba.

Make no mistake. Sherpa Adventure Gear is not cheap. Their best-selling items, the Vajra Primaloft jacket (an extremely lightweight jacket for the not-too-cold climate) and the Namghyal jacket (a woollen jacket for colder shores) sell for Rs. 9,750 and Rs. 8,400 each. However, Phurba believes that Sherpa Adventure Gear has a few selling points.

The first is that they are cheaper when compared with companies producing similar equipment. This could be because the manufacturing plants are in Kathmandu itself. Despite manufacturing in Nepal being more expensive than in China, Phurba says that the ‘Made in Nepal’ tag has influenced many foreigners to buy their products. “We do manufacture s few items in China, but when foreigners see our Nepali equipment, they invariably choose those over the Chinese ones.”

Also noteworthy is the fact that the company gives the Sherpa community the recognition that it is due. Phurba, a mountaineer himself, laments the fact that “No matter how much foreigners say they like you, we never get credit. When they write books, they never name us.”

The company approaches this problem in unique ways. First is the fact that all of its equipment is actually tested by Sherpas, in above-8,000 m altitudes. The fact that Sherpas have long been associated with mountaineering, and have gained immeasurable value due to their skills as guides only helps reinforce their stance as true critics of mountaineering equipment. So, each of their products has been tested in the harshest climates possible.

Furthermore, the company employs Sherpa athletes and mountaineers as their brand ambassadors. The company also donates a percentage of the sales to a school in the Khumbu region.

Opening in Nepal has not been easy. The new load-shedding schedule was a major impediment. Furthermore, Phurba says, “We are a new company, and though we sell, we don’t compare with other, bigger companies. The competition is tough.” Despite this, Phurba reports that business has been quite good, with 60 percent of customers being foreigners, while 40 percent Nepalis. The company expects to increase the number of local customers. “We will continue to maintain our high standards and serve people’s needs,” he says.

Posted on: 2010-02-06 09:42

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