60 Minutes: "The Sherpas of Everest, Presenting the Kanneh-Masons"

Date: December 22, 2025
Host: CBS News
Correspondents: Leslie Stahl, Scott Pelley, others
Episode Overview:
This episode of 60 Minutes features two major stories: an immersive journey with Sherpa guides to Everest Base Camp, exploring the lives, challenges, and aspirations of these mountaineers; and an intimate profile of the Kanneh-Mason siblings, a family of musical prodigies redefining classical music for a new generation.

The Sherpas of Everest

[Main Segment: 04:21–33:00]

Main Theme

A behind-the-scenes look at the unsung heroes of Mount Everest—the Sherpas—through a ten-day trek to Everest Base Camp with 19-year-old climbing phenom Nima Rinji Sherpa as guide. The episode examines the perilous work, lack of global recognition, commercialization of Everest, and how new generations of Sherpas are pushing for respect and opportunity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Everest & the Sherpa Way of Life

• Everest Base Camp Trek Experience: Leslie Stahl and crew trek 50 miles and ascend 8,261 feet to Base Camp, guided by Nima Rinji Sherpa, the youngest person to summit all 14 of the world's highest mountains ([04:21–05:45]).

• Sherpa Identity: Sherpa is not just a job but an ethnic identity; approximately 150,000 Sherpas live in Nepal ([08:18]).

  “They are the porters and guides who risk their lives to help others reach the summit with little recognition.”
  — Leslie Stahl [04:34]

  "If there is no Everest, we'll still be farming...the mountain has given us a meaning to life."
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [08:09]

2. Legacy of Sherpa Mountaineers

• Tenzing Norgay Tribute: Recognition of Tenzing Norgay, who guided Sir Edmund Hillary during the first successful Everest summit in 1953, and his underappreciated place in history ([08:44–09:06]).

  “It was because of him who made the Sherpa a brand today.”
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [09:06]

• Family Mountaineering Dynasty: Nima comes from a family of record-holders—a father who climbed Everest without oxygen and uncles who summited all 14 eight-thousanders ([09:20]).

3. Perilous Trek & Sherpa Resilience

• Physical and Mental Toll: The trek is punishing even with modern training, underscoring Sherpa resilience ([10:58–11:35]).

• Mental Preparation and Motivation:

  "The mountains will start to question you why you are here...you have to have an iron heart."
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [12:17]

4. Challenges & Inequity

• Lack of Recognition & Sponsorship: Despite Nima’s record-breaking feats, Western climbers command more sponsorships and recognition ([12:57–13:19]).

  "Do you think the fact that you haven't received any of those endorsements has to do with where you're coming from?"
  — Leslie Stahl
  "Maybe yes, but I know my time is going to come. I don't want to rush it."
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [13:13–13:19]

• Workload and Danger: One in three Everest deaths is a Sherpa. In 2023, 18 climbers died—many of whom were Sherpas ([21:13]).

  "Every step is do and die…dangerous. Sometimes it's nighttime work, sometimes it's avalanche."
  — Mingma Sherpa (Nima’s uncle) [09:59]

5. Innovation and Changing Everest

• Commercialization: Everest has become a multimillion-dollar industry, turning the once-heroic summit into a lucrative, sometimes luxury-driven, enterprise ([19:34]).

  “Everest is a booming multimillion dollar high altitude industry…Base Camp has become a tourist destination.”
  — Leslie Stahl [19:34]

• New Technology—Drones: Expedition companies like Seven Summit Treks are using drones to transport supplies and remove waste, aiming to improve safety ([28:52–29:16]).

  “The drones are now helping…the icefall doctors…helping to bring down all the trash…”
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [29:02]

6. Risk, Death & Motivation

• Coping with Mortality:

  “It seems like death is inevitable in what you do.”
  — Leslie Stahl
  “I've seen many people passed away...but you believe that you're not gonna die. You use death almost as a motivator.”
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [21:54–22:05]

• Rescue Missions: Pilots like Simone Moro risk dangerous flights for evacuations. Lack of preparedness among tourists makes rescues frequent and dangerous ([29:27–30:47]).

7. Sherpa Legacy and the Future

• Aspiring for Recognition: The new Sherpa generation wants independent recognition on the world stage ([32:04]).

• Enduring Hardship:

  “People like Simone, me, like my dad, my uncle… we come from zero... we created something for ourselves.”
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [32:04]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Facing Fear:
  “Of course you are scared, but you have to balance it in a way that you can be confident… you have to calm yourself down and realize who you are.”
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [07:44–07:59]

• On Inequity:
  “A Western climber dies, and…the community rallies…for the Nepali climbers, it's not recognized in the same sense.”
  — Leslie Stahl [15:49]

• On Commercialization:
  “Everest has been a blessing for Sherpas… for the country, the biggest revenue source... but it's the whole economy sustaining.”
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [25:44–26:08]

• On Sherpa Legacy:
  “You don't usually talk to 19 year olds about their legacies.”
  — Leslie Stahl
  “Yeah, I don't know about legacy for now. Maybe one day then I will have my own legacy.”
  — Nima Rinji Sherpa [32:23–32:31]

Key Timestamps

• Arrival and Introduction to Everest Trek: [04:21–05:45]
• Legacy of Tenzing Norgay: [08:40–09:06]
• Danger & Motivation: [11:35–12:43]
• Discussion of Sponsorship and Inequality: [12:57–13:19]
• Technology Innovations—Drones: [28:52–29:27]
• Deadliness and Risk: [21:13], [22:05], [29:27–30:47]

Presenting the Kanneh-Masons

[Main Segment: 33:59–46:50]

Main Theme

A profile of the Kanneh-Mason siblings—seven remarkably talented classical musicians from Nottingham, England. The episode explores their upbringing, successes, family dynamic, and how they are making classical music younger, more diverse, and broadly accessible.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing the Kanneh-Mason Family

• Seven Virtuosos: All under 30, each a musical prodigy (Geneva, Aminata, Sheku, Brima, Aizahda, Konya, Mariatu) ([33:59]).

  "What is surely the most statistically improbable story in classical music history. Seven siblings, each a virtuoso..."
  — Scott Pelley [33:59]

• Global Impact: Performed at major venues and won top awards. Sheku notably played at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ([37:05–43:15]).

2. Their Upbringing

• Nurture Over Nature: Music was a supportive, organic part of family life, not something forced ([37:05–37:33]).

  “Our environment was so intensely musical and loving and supportive, it was kind of bound to happen...”
  — Aminata Mason [37:05]

• Family Routine: Practiced daily, attended the Royal Academy of Music as children, but pressure came from siblings more than parents ([39:48–41:19]).

• Sunday Concert Tradition: Weekly gatherings where siblings critiqued performances—helped build resilience ([40:32–41:03]).

3. Career and Public Perception

• Balancing Individual and Group Identity: As adults, they are finding their own styles and careers outside the family unit ([44:59–45:16]).

  “As soon as that comparison starts to become about the external things like, 'oh, you're doing this concert,' then everything can just crumble...”
  — Aminata Mason [46:08]

• Commitment to Classical Music: The family turned down commercialized reality TV and always insisted on serious repertoire ([42:08–42:19]).

4. Sibling Dynamic—Support and Competition

• Healthy Rivalry: Fiercely competitive in daily life, but in music, their support for one another is unwavering ([45:30–46:33]).

  "We draw the line at music because our instruments are such an integral part of ourselves, and it would be like deeply attacking the other person."
  — Aminata Mason [46:26]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Nature vs. Nurture:
  “I think that environment is so important…If there were a nature part, it would be having that base level of interest. You can't force a child to like something.”
  — Aminata Mason [37:05–37:33]

• On Sibling Pressure:
  “If mom and dad weren't typical stage parents, the pressure came instead from one another. As siblings, they can dispense with the niceties. They remain each other's toughest critics.”
  — Scott Pelley [41:03–41:19]

• On Identity and Collective Success:
  “How do you balance the collective with also trying to carve out an identity as individuals?”
  — Interviewer
  “I think it's something that probably gets easier as you get older… Also musically…I mean, we play different instruments, we're different ages, we play different repertoire.”
  — Kanneh-Mason sibling [44:59–45:16]

Key Timestamps

• Introduction to the Kanneh-Mason Family: [33:59]
• Family upbringings and musical environment: [37:05–39:48]
• Sibling advice sessions and Sunday concerts: [40:32–41:03]
• Sheku's Royal Wedding moment: [43:15]
• Balancing group and individual growth: [44:59–45:30]
• Sibling rivalry and teamwork in music: [45:49–46:33]

Episode in a Nutshell

• The trek with the Sherpas delivers a visceral sense of awe, danger, inequity, and hope on Everest—revealing the Sherpas’ vital, underappreciated role and the new aspirations of a rising generation.
• The profile of the Kanneh-Mason siblings highlights how nurturing, loving support and healthy rivalry can give rise to a phenomenon—showing how one family is reinvigorating classical music from the inside out.

Memorable Moments

• Leslie Stahl, breathless and vulnerable, facing the physical and existential challenge of high-altitude trekking alongside Sherpa guides. [13:53, 24:49]
• A candid discussion about death as a motivator in mountaineering. [21:54–22:05]
• An impromptu sibling music lesson in the Kanneh-Mason home, showcasing both the nerves and affection fueling their growth. [40:32–41:03]
• Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s world-stopping cello performance, his quiet humility highlighting the depth of raw talent within the family. [43:16]

For more, visit 60MinutesOvertime.com.