This is the story of four young women's desire to climb Mount Everest and what this means to them as Sherpa women. Everest is called Chomolongma in Sherpa and Tibetan, meaning Mother Goddess of the Universe.

Although 52 women have reached the summit of this 8,848 meter peak, only one Nepalese woman has had that honor.

In 1994, Pasang Llamu Sherpa was the first Nepalese woman to climb Everest, but she never returned from that historic expedition. A statue stands in her honor and stamps commemorate the memory of her ascent, but her story is an incomplete one.

On the one hand, Pasang's attempt opened the possibility for other women to consider something outside of their traditional role as homemakers and mothers, but the tragic end to her attempt also brought the dangers of such an expedition to the forefront. This incident brought into question women's ability to achieve such physically demanding goals.

It is commonplace for men in the Sherpa community to achieve success in mountaineering. Ever since Tenzing Norgay Sherpa reached the Everest summit with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, there have been several other Sherpa men who followed in their footsteps. The Guinness Book of World Records lists a number of Sherpa men for their achievements in mountaineering.

The Constitution of Nepal grants freedom and equality to all its citizens. In practice, however, societal biases and norms discourage women from entering professions that require independent and mobile individuals. Women are encouraged to stick to traditionally accepted roles.

In comparison to other Nepalese ethnicities, Sherpa women are more liberated and equal to their male counterparts. According to community leader Ang Rita Sherpa, Sherpa women may enjoy a degree of equality in some fields but mountaineering has always been a male-dominated occupation with barriers that are yet to be broken down. For any woman attempting to climb there are numerous obstacles that stand in her way - physical, personal and financial.

The four young climbers attempting Everest hope to not only successfully reach the summit of the world's highest peak but to play a role in encouraging other Nepalese women to consider mountaineering as a viable sport and occupation.

Compared to most foreign expeditions, the Nepalese women's team is young, inexperienced and financially disadvantaged. A normal Everest expedition team would have had the experience of climbing at least one other peak at an altitude of 6,000 meters or more. For example, the 1996 Indian women's Everest expedition trained rigorously and climbed the 7,822 meter Nanda Devi peak prior to their Everest attempt.

However, what the Nepalese women's team lacks in experience, it makes up for in courage, drive and determination. There is also a strong fatalistic element that surrounds this climb. The women believe that they will succeed and that God will see them through. The limitations of their climbing abilities or experience is secondary.

Why do these women believe that they can succeed on Everest where world-renown climbers have often failed? Do they believe that they have inherent climbing skills as Sherpas? And is this belief a result of their own cultural heritage or an image built by western media ever since Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's summit in 1953?

Nepal's political situation is ripe with debates on gender issues, and there is a general atmosphere of enthusiasm, at least superficially, for women's rights. These circumstances have led to the organization of the women's expedition, a political construct in many ways, but also a genuine opportunity for these four women who would otherwise not have had the means to attempt an Everest expedition on their own.

A climbing permit for a Mount Everest costs US$ 70,000, an astronomical amount even for westerners. Then there is the cost of climbing equipment and gear which can cost another US$ 50,000.

One of the largest expedition companies in Nepal, Asian Trekking, is sponsoring this event. They announced the women's expedition with much fanfare in January and the local media feted the women.

Also behind the women is the Sushma Koirala Trust, a women's organization run by the daughter of former Prime Minister G.P. Koirala.

Two years ago, when 26-year old Lakpa Sherpa was working as an expedition porter, she sent a letter to then Prime Minister, G.P. Koirala asking for support for a women's expedition to Everest. In 1999 when Koirala was no longer Prime Minister he found her letter in his files and became interested in Lakpa's idea. For Lakpa, his interest was an answer to her prayers.

Because of Lakpa's initiative to form the women's Everest team, she is also the leader.

"As a child, I followed the trail that westerners used to take, there were a group of us who tagged along. We would help them retrieve things from the various camps when they felt unable to continue. They would give us a little bit of money," Lakpa says.

Her family is from Sankhuwasabha, southwest of the Everest region. Like many Sherpa families, Lakpa's mother and sisters farm while her brothers are in the climbing business.

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