POKHARA: A group of 10 Nepalese climbers who set a world record by scaling K2 Mountain (8,611 meters) in Pakistan, the world’s second-highest peak that had never been climbed in winter before, will receive felicitation in Pokhara.
On February 6, a program is scheduled to take place at Pokhara Airport in honor of the climbers to be organized by Pokhara Tourism Council, an umbrella organization of institutions working on tourism.
Surrounded by people from various walks of life, well-wishers along musical bands, the team will go through Naya Bazaar, Mahendrapul, New Road, Zero KM, Hallan Chowk, and Lakeside before reaching Mount Kailash Hotel where the program will conclude, said the program organizers.
“This is a great moment to make Nepal’s image high. It is a matter of happiness to honor and felicitate a Nepali team, which has made the country known to the world by scaling the mountain, in a tourism hub, Pokhara,” said the Council’s President Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai at a press conference here on Friday.
Objecting to rules and regulations set by the government that has affected the arrival of tourists to the country, he urged the government to make arrangements for the tourists who have received Covid-19 vaccines wanting to visit Nepal and the implementation of an enterprises stimulus fund worth Rs 1 billion instituted by Gandaki Province at the earliest.
On the occasion, Sushil Raj Poudel, President of the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), Western Region, said the ascent of the killer mountain has helped make Nepal known to the world. TAAN, Western Region is the coordinator of the felicitation program while Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Gandaki Province co-coordinator.
Likewise, the President of the NMA, Gandaki Province Sheshkanta Sharma expressed the hope that scaling of the mountain by the Nepali team has imparted a positive message to promote adventure mountaineering tourism by attracting tourists to this adventure.
A team of 10 Nepali mountaineers on 16 January successfully climbed the mountain known as the Savage Mountain. The summiteers’ team included Nirmal Purja, Migma David Sherpa, Migma Tenji Sherpa, Gyaljen Sherpa, Pem Chiri Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Migma Ji Sherpa, Dawa Tenjing Sherpa, Kilu Pemba Sherpa and Sona Sherpa. Although attempts were made for the first time in-between 1987 and 1998 to summit Mt K2 in winter, the team led by Nirmal Purja succeeded in reaching atop the mountain in winter for the first time.
Meanwhile, six mountaineers from Gandaki State would be feted on that day for their successful climbing of Dhampus Peak (also known as Thapa Peak-6019m) on January 16, according to Pom Narayan Shrestha, Vice-President of the Council.
The climbing members of the Dhampus Peak expedition were Tashi Pasang, Man Gurung, Sanak Kumar Jugjali, Dipesh Babu Subedi, Sudeep Gautam and Hira Kumari Malla.
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