KATHMANDU: ‘Failure of your first attempt does not mean you can’t be a winner of great battles; it rather means, you must trigger only when your target is in focus,’ Israelmore Ayivor, Ghana said highlighting the role of determination in life.
The lines also best describe the feat and fate of Anish Luitel, 26, hailing from Jhapa, who scaled Mt Everest at his second attempt in 2016.
As a scout student from grade 6, Luitel knows very well that challenge and struggle is always a part of Life. “Without struggle, life will not be worth living,” Luitel says.
He was fascinated by the mountains of Nepal since early childhood. ‘When I read and listened to the news about foreign Scouters coming to Nepal to climb the peaks of Nepal,’ he recalls, “I felt tempted to have a try on it as well.”
So, as a preparation to summit the top of the world, he successfully climbed Island peak in 2014.
Then he headed towards the Everest Base camp in 2015. He was so excited about the idea that in a few days he would be waving the sky and the people down from the top of the world.
But, sadly, due to the massive avalanche on Everest that was caused by the devastating earthquake of Apr 25, 2015, he had to abandon his trip.
That day he was at Camp II along with other seven members of the expedition. “I was in the dinner tent,” he remembered the day when the avalanche had swept his tent afloat, “All of a sudden the tent started moving as if it was floating on water.”
Scared, while he was running out of the tent haphazardly, his Sherpa friends rescued him.
“Luckily, I survived and after two days was airlifted to Camp I. Upon arriving at Base Camp I saw many deaths and massive destruction caused by the earthquake,” he narrated in a breathe as if he had come out from it just now, “this sight really disheartened me and I felt my Everest dream collapsing.”
The first Everest experience nearly broke him down. But life had to go on, so he continued without much despair. “I again took an active part in volunteering with the scouts and participated in Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award”.
Climbing Everest was his dream, how could he give it up so early? Besides, his fellow mates, friends, family members, officials from Nepal scouts and others were there like his backbone to push him on. So, he decided to have the second try. He knew that climbing Everest is a big challenge but due to the experienced Sherpas he was confident that he could overcome all obstacles and was determined that he could do it.
He reached the top of the world on 21 May 2016, at 5:27 am and became the first Nepali scout to climb the Mt Everest. When he reached the summit, he jumped at the summit and nearly got flooded with tears rolling down his eyes. It was amazing. Words fail to describe the moment he experienced.
He again summited from the north side on 14th May 2018 at 11:30 am with World Jamboree Flag for the Boy Scouts of America.
This time, he was much inspired by Bears Grylls, who runs Man Vs Wild in the Discovery Channel, who itself is a scouter and ambassador of world scout.
Luitel says he became my scouting and adventure inspiration. “When I was at base camp, I saw a recorded message sent by him and his wish on his social media like Facebook, Instagram, and twitter which motivated me a lot
He felt, his life could never get salvation unless he experienced it. He felt his dream came true.
“I was so exultant because I was at the highest peak of the world and had this golden opportunity to hold the National flag of Nepal, World Scout flag, 100th-year anniversary flag of Boy Scouts of America and the banner of the Duke of Edinburgh the International Award all up at the top of the world and at this point I really had a very big sense of achievement,” he tried to get those moments in his word.
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