Sardar (Sherpa)

{{Short description|Type of Sherpa mountain guide}}

{{other uses|Sardar (disambiguation)}}

{{More references|date=December 2009}}

A Sardar or Sirdar is a Sherpa mountain guide who manages all the other Sherpas in a climbing expedition or trekking group;{{cite book | title=Claiming the High Ground: Sherpas, Subsistence, and Environmental Change in the Highest Himalaya | first=Stanley F. |last =Stevens | publisher = University of California Press | date= 1993 | page=371-382| url = https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft8b69p1t6&chunk.id=d0e11932&toc.depth=1&toc.id=0&brand=ucpress&query=sirdar| access-date = 8 July 2025}} Sirdar is the most common spelling used in the majority of English-language mountaineering literature. The Sirdar is typically the most experienced guide and can usually speak English fluently. The Sirdar's responsibilities include:

• assigning responsibilities to the other guides
• hiring and paying local porters
• purchasing local food during the trek/expedition{{cite book | title= Himalayan traders: life in highland Nepal | url =https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.121002/2015.121002.Himalayan-Traders-Life-In-Highland-Nepal_djvu.txt | first =Christoph |last = Von Fürer-Haimendorf | date = 1975 |isbn= 978-0719531798 |publisher= John Murray | access-date = 8 July 2025}}
• making the final decision regarding route choices
• handling other trip logistics such as dealing with government officials or police.
• managing and overseeing transport of equipment to high camps{{cite book | first1 = Ed | last1 = Viesturs | first2 = David | last2 =Roberts | title = No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks | publisher= Bravo Ltd | date= 2007 | isbn = 9780767924719 | page = 340 | url = https://archive.org/details/noshortcutstotop00edvi/mode/2up?q=sirdar }}

The normal progression to Sirdar usually involves starting as a porter, working their way up to being a kitchen assistant, on to an assistant guide and then finally to Sirdar. Sirdars do not normally carry loads but will do so on occasion such as carrying the pack of a client who is having difficulties from altitude sickness. The appellation is sometimes qualified with expeditions having an overall Sirdar but with other individuals in subsidiary roles such as base-camp sirdar and ice-fall sirdar.Krakauer, Jon (1997). Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster (1997 ed.). Doubleday. {{ISBN|978-0-385-49208-9}}