An avalanche on Mount Everest killed 16 mountain guides last week. Caroline Winter delved into the economics of those who help tourists make the climb:

• Nepal makes $3.5 million each year in climbing fees from Mount Everest.
• Climbers have to pay up to $150,000 to attempt to get to the top of the mountain.
• Yet Sherpas only get between $2,000 and $8,000 per climb.
• This isn’t bad for a country where the average income is less than $600. But in climbing Everest multiple times a year they take immeasurable risks.
• In the wake of the accident the Nepalese government has announced that the guides who die on the world’s tallest mountain will be covered by an insurance policy worth $15,000.

Read more about the pressures that the guides face, what climbers get for their money, and what Sherpas themselves have to say over here.

Source: Businessweek