Tourism-reliant Nepal to seek assurances Everest is safe after quakes

Tourism-reliant Nepal to seek assurances Everest is safe after quakes

Nepal will ask international experts to assess the safety of Mount Everest trekking trails in an effort to convince tourists it is safe to return after two devastating earthquakes closed most routes.

A trekker stands in front of Mount Everest, which is 8,850 meters high (C), at Kala Patthar in Solukhumbu District May 7, 2014. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

A trekker stands in front of Mount Everest, which is 8,850 meters high (C), at Kala Patthar in Solukhumbu District May 7, 2014. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

The quakes, on April 25 and May 12, killed almost 9,000 people and shook mountains triggering avalanches that killed scores of climbers and guides. Experts say catastrophic landslides could be triggered during this monsoon season that begins in mid-June.

Tourists fled the Himalayan nation after the first quake and hotels and trekking companies said they have suffered heavy cancellations ahead of the autumn.

Tourism, including trekking and climbing permit fees, contributes about 4 percent of Nepal’s gross domestic product.

“After the earthquakes, many trekking groups started raising questions about the safety of hikers,” said Tulsi Prasad Gautam, the head of Nepal’s tourism department. “Their cost of insurance also began to rise. Therefore, we are undertaking the study to increase their confidence.”

Geologists from Europe, Japan and Singapore have shown an interest in conducting the studies, said Ramesh Dhamala, president of Trekking Agents’ Association of Nepal.The main focus of the assessment would be in the Annapurna and Everest regions which attract 70 percent of trekkers, officials said.Nepal has been urging tourists to visit if they want to help it recover. The country is one of the poorest in the world and many depend on tourism for their income.Climbing on Mount Everest is closed for the second climbing season in a row after Sherpas refused to rebuild broken paths across a deadly glacier and mountaineering companies said it was too dangerous to ascend.

Langtang valley, Nepal’s third most popular trekking destination, remains closed after the quake triggered a catastrophic landslide that buried hundreds of people in one village in the valley.

In a sign of the dangers ahead of this monsoon season, heavy rains triggered a landslide killing at least 13 people, including children, and dozens were missing in the Taplejung district in east Nepal on Thursday.

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Source: reuters.com

Youngest and the oldest climbers

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According to Gyanendra Shrestha, a DoT official, 17-year-old Matt Moniz, from Colorado, US, and Australian mountaineer Azer Alyssa Nicole, 19, are the youngest male and female climbers heading towards Mt Everest. Nepali climber Min Bahadur Sherchan, 83, and Japanese female mountaineer Eiko Funahashi, 76, are also heading towards Khumbu region to attempt to scale the highest peak. DoT has so far permitted 102 expeditions, including 42 for Mt Everest, generating royalty worth more than US$ 3.5 million.

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Source: Thehimalayantimes

83-year-old to scale Everest for 2nd time

83-year-old to scale Everest for 2nd time

If everything goes well with 83-year-old Min Bahadur Serchan, he will be retaining his title of the ‘oldest man’ on the top of Mount Everest in the Guinness World Record.

Sherchan_to_climb_Mt_EverestSerchan is heading to Lukla from Kathmandu on Democracy day this Friday, from where he will begin his expedition.

The octogenarian had scaled the 8,8848 metre mountain at the age of 76 in 2008, but his record was broken by Japanese national Yuichiro Miura, who climbed Everest at the age of 80 in 2013.

Since then, Serchan has been working hard to regain his lost title for the second time and is said to be determined to reach the peak once again.

“I am sure my work will encourage all the elderly people, excite the youths and serve as an inspiration for every Nepali to strive towards their goal,” Serchan told the Post. “My health is perfect and I am doing this with my own willpower. This should be a matter of pride to the country,” he added. He also thanked Nepal government for trusting him and granting the permission to scale the summit.

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Serchan has been doing a lot of rehearsal to achieve this daunting task. At the age of 72, Serchan began his fitness preparations by walking on foot from Kathmandu to Pokhara (202 kilometres) in four days, he also walked from east to west Nepal (1,028 kilometres) in 20 days.

After a year, he trekked about 300 kilometres from the northern part of the country to the  south in nine days. He recently finished a walk from Kathmandu to Lumbini in 14 days.  Non-Resident Nepali Association, UK has sponsored his expenses for the expedition while Himalayan Guides Nepal has agreed to give him technical support.

Serchan who was born on June 20, 1931, Bhurung-9 in Myagdi, had served for five years in the Gorkha Regiment in Gorakhapur, India.

Source: Ekantipur

Spring climbing kick-starts in style

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With the start of the year’s spring climbing season, Mt Everest is all set to draw over 300 climbers. Officials confirmed that most of the mountaineers have already reached Khumbu region for acclimatisation. According to Gyanendra Shrestha, an official at the Department of Tourism, 287 foreign climbers representing 30 different expedition obtained Everest climbing permits till yesterday. The expeditions, except David Breashears’ single-member team from the US, represent teams comprising four to 14 members, he said.

“Hordes of climbers will be spending nearly two months scaling different peaks, including Mt Everest,” Ang Tashi Sherpa from Lukla told THT.

Though, a very few of the 325 Everest climbers who abandoned their expeditions last year have been able to reutilise their old permits this year due to delay caused by government indecisiveness, there will be more groups applying for climbing permit. “DoT expects more than 300 foreign climbers on Everest.” Trekking Camp Nepal informed that visually-impaired South Korean climber Song Kyung-tae, 54, has joined an expedition to the summit of Mount Everest to inspire the handicapped and the youth.

Double amputee Xia Boyu, 64, from China is also attempting to scale the world’s highest peak; while Nepali climber Lila Bahadur Basnet said he was in a bid to summit Mt Everest in 10 days. “Basnet is one of the climbers of a 13-member British Gurkha team.

US Marine veteran Staff Sergeant Charlie Linville, 29, who lost a leg in an IED attack in Afghanistan is also attempting to plant a flag bearing the names of those who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to operators.

Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet is attempting to set a speed record without using supplemental oxygen, while Kenton Cool, Rupert Jones-Warner and Ralf Dujmovits will attempt to create new records on Everest.

An Indian Army team led by Major Ranveer Singh Jamwal, who has scaled Everest twice, is attempting to scale the peak to mark the 50th anniversary of India’s first ascent of the world’s highest peak. Two teams of the Indian Army — 14 members for Mt Everest and nine for Mt Lhotse — have obtained climbing permits. They are also bringing 4,000 kg garbage back from the top as part of their sanitation drive.

everest_2008_1296

According to operators, female climber Chhurim Sherpa is all set to carry Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes’ bat and jersey to the top of Mt Everest, while Phurba Sherpa is climbing the peak with flags of 193 countries. He is on a world peace mission.

“Climbers are attempting numerous Nepali peaks including Mt Everest in style,” Alan Arnette, renowned climber and mountain blogger told this daily before leaving for Lukla in an attempt on Mt Lhotse, the world’s fourth highest peak.

Everest base Camp Manager Tshering Sherpa of Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee informed that icefall doctors have already constructed a new route up to Camp 1.

The Department of Tourism has also established a contact office and deputed two officials at the base camp.

Generally, Mt Everest records its first spring summit in the second week of May and the climbing window closes roughly by the end of the first week of June.

Source : thehimalayantimes

Individual Everest permits also extended for 5 years

The government has made amendment to Mountaineering Regulations, allowing mountaineers, who took individual permits to climb Mt Everest in spring last year, to use the permit over the next five years.

Earlier, the government had extended validity of only group permits. But the decision had draw flak from mountaineers who said it was not possible for all members in the team to gather at the same time for the expedition. Minister of General Administration Lal Babu Pandit said that the cabinet has decided to allow individual climbers to use their climbing permits over the next five years.

everest_2008_1296

A total of 334 climbers of 32 expedition teams, including a Nepali team, had received permits to climb Mt Everest last year. The climbers, however, are required to pay US$ 1,000 to the Department of Tourism (DoT) based on the new royalty structure. The government reduced royalty fee for foreigners climbing Mt Everest from normal route, also known as the South East Ridge, to $11,000 per person from $25,000 per person with effect from January1, 2015.

All expedition teams called off their expedition after a deadly avalanche near Camp II of Mt Everest killed 16 Sherpa guides in April last year. “With the amendment in Mountaineering Regulations, we are hopeful that the number of mountaineers on Mt Everest will increase this year. We will see new climbers as well as those who had cancelled their trip last year,” Pushpa Raj Katuwal, chief of Mountaineering Section at DoT, told Republica.

According to Katuwal, the government has issued climbing permits to five teams so far. Meanwhile, DoT will send two liaison officers who will man the government’s contact office at the Everest Base Camp for the entire climbing season. The government has already prepared Terms of Reference (ToR) for the liaison officers.

“With this arrangement, we believe climbers will feel much safer. Also, they can get the required information in time,” he added. The liaison officers will provide weather updates, coordinate rescue operations in case of emergencies and settle disputes arising among climbing parties.

The government has changed climbing route slightly this year to avoid the where avalanche hit mountaineering workers last year. According to the department, climbers will have to deviate around 40 meters right of the regular trail which will extend the trip to Camp I by around two hours.

“In case the government reduces climbing permit fee in the next five years, we will refund the climbers accordingly,” Tulsi Prasad Gautam, director general of DoT, said.

Source: Republica