About

 Kay and Dawa Chhiri Sherpa first met in 2004, when Kay was trekking in Nepal for the first time. After Kay returned to Nepal several times they eventually married in 2009.They live in Kathmandu with Dawas son Sonam.

Dawa was born in GoliGeptchuk Village, Solukhumbu. He was the youngest of 11 children, only four of whom survived beyond the age of 5 years. He was brought up by his mother, who died when he was 17 years old. Neither does he remember his father who died when he was very young.  He enjoyedplaying with his brother, sisters and friends and helping around the family farm. There was no running water, no electricity, cooking was and continues to be done on open pit fires in the middle of a room with no chimney; children could only attend school if their parents could release them from the back breaking work on the farms or collecting firewood,which remains very much the same to this day. Dawa believes that most if not all of his siblings and both his parents died due to poor health caused by poverty, respiratory issues caused by cooking on open fires and no access to health care.

Dawa did not attend school, but did spend 2 years as a child monk, where he learned to read holy books. He was needed to help around the house and farm. At the age of 13 he travelled to Kathmandu to look for work.He managed to get a job as a trekking porter earning 15 Nepali rupees a day. He had to carry 60 -70 kg and had to buy his food. He trekked without shoes. To walk over high passes, he wrapped his feet in polythene and rope to prevent slipping and falling in the snow and ice on the Throrung La. (5416m) He did this for 10 years. Then he met a guide friend Mingmar Sherpa Lama, who invited him to stay with him, he learned to cook and then went out with groups as cook, sometimes as an assistant guide. He learned English from working as a trekking porter, cook, assistant guide and then was able to train as a Guide. After 27 years, he has his own trekking company with Ian Taylor.