Vajra Books, a Kathmandu-based publishing business, has released a new book titled Guilt and Glory (Climbing with Sherpa), which explores into the lives of Sherpas in Nepal, emphasizing their critical role in high-altitude expeditions.

The book, written by Jon Gangdal, analyzes the mountains' historical and spiritual significance to the Sherpa community, as well as the developing incentives that drive them to embark on such dangerous expeditions. Gangdal illuminates the complicated interplay between economic necessity, cultural beliefs, and the pull of mountaineering, providing readers with a complete picture of the Sherpas' life.

Gangdal honors the Sherpa people via vivid storytelling and personal observations, emphasizing their tenacity and the great hardships they confront. This piece is both a tribute and a critical assessment of the dynamics between climbers and the Sherpa community.

This is a beautiful and multilayered story—both spiritual and human. It weaves together the apparent and intangible weights that Sherpas bear on risky climbs, including not only physical risk but also a metaphysical cost that many outsiders are unaware of. The idea that dying below the snow line risks rebirth as a preta—an emaciated entity doomed to perpetual hunger—is disturbing. It captures a spiritual gravitas that is typically absent from mainstream mountaineering stories.