Maya Sherpa, a young girl from Okhaldhunga, Nepal, was inspired by her father and uncles who guided foreigners on treks. She saw that trekking could improve her life and dreamed of becoming a trekking guide. Despite her gender stereotypes, Maya never accepted them and always wanted to do something that required courage and stood out from the crowd. When she was seven, her parents sent her to live with her uncle’s family in Kathmandu, but her interest in trekking dwindled.
Maya’s ambition was to join the Nepal Police, but she didn’t have acquaintances in high places, which was considered a prerequisite for getting in. However, Maya continued to pursue her passion for climbing and weightlifting, which were not career paths for women in Nepal at the time. One day, when Maya was 21 and still unemployed, her father harassed her about earning a living.
One day, Maya decided to take a chance and called her uncle’s house, where she found a trekking guide from her village. The trekking company hired her and sent her on a ten-day trek to Pumori Base Camp. While on the trek, Maya decided to become a trekking guide.
The trekking company offered her another longer trek if she proved herself capable. Maya attended a basic mountaineering training in Langtang and was part of a group on a 25-day circuit of the Manaslu region. If Maya managed to prove herself on high passes, the company would consider paying for basic training and sending her to climb mountains.
Maya proved to be capable at high altitudes, and the trekking company kept its word. She was the only woman in a group of 32 trainees, feeling proud to be rubbing shoulders with men.
