421 making an attempt to be atop Mt Sagarmatha

Kathmandu, May 10: This year's spring Mt Sagarmatha or Everest expedition season has begun after a seven-member Sherpa team deployed from the ATK Expedition Company opened the climbing gate by fixing ropes on the peak of Everest on Friday.

 Five Sherpas deployed from the same company had fixed the ropes on the peak of Mt Lhotse and Mt Ama Dablam on Thursday. 

The Department of Tourism has stated that the climbing has officially begun with the completion of the road to the peak of Everest. Director of the Department, Leeladhar Awasthi, said with the completion of the rope hanging work on the peak of Everest this year’s Everest climbing season has officially begun. He said that the first phase is expected to see the highest number of climbers as the weather is favorable.

Mountaineer Lakpa Sherpa, who is also the Managing Director of ATK Expedition Company, said that the maximum number of climbers are likely to reach the peak from May 11 to 14 as the weather is favorable for climbing Everest. 

This season world record holder Kami Rita Sherpa is on the verge of breaking his own record by climbing Everest for the 31st time. Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa has reached Everest with a plan to set a world record by climbing Everest four times in 20 days. Similarly, another world record holder, Sanu Sherpa, is planning to break his own record by climbing mountains above 8,000 meters for the third time.

The mouintaineers have gone to Everest with a 75-day climbing permit from the Department of Tourism. The Everest climb lasts around 40 days. 

According to the statistics of the Mountaineering Branch of the Department of Tourism, so far 421 people from 44 mountaineering groups have obtained permits to climb Everest. (RSS0