Int'l mountaineers climb Mt. Jugal

By Chitra Kumar Mijar,Sindhupalchok, Nov. 17: An international team of mountaineers has successfully climbed Jugal Himal Peak–5 in Sindhupalchok’s Jugal Rural Municipality. The ascent is part of a growing trend of foreign climbers attempting the 11 major peaks of the Jugal mountain range.

According to Mahendra Singh Thapa, president of the Sindhu Sukute Tourism Entrepreneurs’ Association, a five-member team led by British climber James Peter Williams Perrier reached the 5,922-metre summit of Jugal–5 at 7:30 a.m. on November 9.

Thapa said the team made the ascent after reaching the peak via satellite communication-assisted coordination.

Jugal–5 is one of the 11 peaks in the lesser-explored Jugal range where international climbing teams have recently begun expedition activities. The Sindhu Sukute Tourism Entrepreneurs’ Association managed the logistics for the summit attempt.

Another team, including Norwegian climber Henrik Bergsen and world-renowned Scottish mountaineer and author Leo Houlding, is preparing to climb Jugal–4, which stands at 5,926 metres. They are currently at high camp and are expected to attempt the summit within the next two days.

Local tourism groups and individuals, in coordination with district authorities, have been facilitating logistics and support for climbers in the region.

Earlier, the 6,151-metre Gyalsun Peak (Furpa Jyo Jyo Peak) of the Jugal range had been successfully climbed twice. May 5, 2024, a joint Nepal–Korea team also made a successful ascent of Jugal–1. Tourism campaigner Thapa said the growing number of expeditions reflects changing conditions in the mountains, as snow has begun to accumulate again on the previously uncovered dark rocky surfaces affected by climate change.

He added that successful climbs on Jugal Peaks 4 and 5 are helping establish Sindhupalchok as a new Himalayan climbing destination.

Thapa and the Sindhu Sukute Tourism Entrepreneurs’ Association are currently promoting Jugal Rural Municipality and the Panchpokhari area as emerging international tourist destinations.