Sherpa originally meant the tribe in Nepal whose social custom was to provide humane and courageous
mountain guides to outsiders. This tribe didn't use last
names, so they were all referred to as Sherpas. To the Sherpa, all Himalayan peaks are sacred, so every tour holds ethical and religious meaning. Westerners picked up on this and use Sherpa to
mean an assistant who knows more than the boss.
The G8 Sherpas
meet several times before the annual
meeting. Each Sherpa has the authority to
set policy for the Head of State.