Nepal quake shakes up local lives

The devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the mountain nation of Nepal hit close to home for many in the Sonoma Valley, where lives and works a large Sherpa community with deep family ties in the Everest region.

In Kenwood, the family of Jon Reiter relays news that the custom-home builder is safe, and helping with rescue efforts at Everest Base Camp, following a deadly avalanche that swept down from the south face of the world’s highest mountain. Reiter had been making his second effort to climb Everest in two years; his 2014 expedition was also cut short by a devastating avalanche that killed 16 Nepalese guides, four of them Sherpas.

The name “Sherpa” is both a tribal name and a family name, and many members of the ethic group whose home is in the Everest region share the same last name. Among these is Pemba Sherpa, a server at the Red Grape Restaurant on West First Street. “We are confused right now, there are so many things going on,” Pemba Sherpa told the Index-Tribune. “It’s a disaster.” He had just spoken with family in Nepal and reported there were still aftershocks. “The whole country needs a lot of help.”

Pemba Sherba estimated there are more than 90 members of the Sherpa community in Sonoma, and many of them share the same family name “Sherpa” – an ethnic group in the mountain region of Nepal, whose origins are in eastern Tibet. He himself has been in Sonoma for almost eight years, and just started a new business, Sherpa Food Taxi, two weeks ago.

Pemba comes from Thame, the same village as Apa Sherpa, a mountain guide who has gained fame for his 20-plus ascents to the summit of Mt. Everest. It was also the home of Tenzing Norgay, who with Sir Edmund Hillary was the first to summit the mountain in 1953.

“It’s a ghost town, there’s nothing left,” said Pemba Sherpa of his illustrious hometown.

The head of the local Himalayan Sherpa Club, Chiring Namgye, also has family in the region. “My house is destroyed, my brother is out of contact – there are a lot of bad things going on right now.” He said the club was planning a benefit for Nepal, tentatively set for May 17 at a location to be announced. They are hoping a venue can be donated so all the money they raise can be sent to Nepal.

“We hope we get a lot of people helping, so we can do something for our country,” said Namgye.

Although Reiter was not directly available, his website at jononeverest.blogspot.com has entries saying he and a climbing partner, Moises Nava, had been pressed into service as medics treating the injured at the Everest Base Camp (17,600 feet elevation) despite their lack of medical training.

Interviewed by CNN, Reiter reported there were 18 dead at the base camp, including three Americans. “We’re feeling pretty lucky today,” Reiter said, though he said there had been a couple more smaller avalanches.

Also touched by the disaster was Candi Horton, who through her fair trade import stores Baksheesh has already begun taking donations to support the clinic in Baseri, leveled by the weekend earthquake. “It’s just smashed, it just doesn’t exist any more,” she said. “The last report I got was that all the homes in the village were gone. People just had the clothes on their back, and it was pouring down rain, there are no stores to get food, and the medical facility is gone.”

Horton said both the Global Heart Fair Trade store at 423 First St. W. in Sonoma, and Baksheesh Fair Trade in St. Helena are taking monetary donations to help rebuilt the clinic, and for the next week all donations will be matched. “There’s no way to get stuff there,” she said. “Bottom line, they need money.”

Carlo Cavallo, of Burgers and Vine (now B&V Whiskey Bar and Grille), is organizing a multi-course dinner and wine auction fundraiser to help victims’ families, to be held at Ramekins. The date has yet to be announced, but Cavallo said on his Facebook page it would be sometime in the next two weeks.

Other Sonoma-based efforts to help the people of Nepal in general, and the Sherpa community in particular, include the Children’s Medical Aid Foundation that helps with corrective surgery programs in Nepal; they are soliciting donations at their website childrensmedicalaid.org.

Major relief organizations are also marshaling their resources to provide relief in goods and funds for the devastated communities of Nepal. These include Oxfam America (oxfamamerica.org/nepalearthquake), Save the Children (savethechildren.org/nepal) and the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org).