KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 22

Nirmal 'Nims' Purja, owned Elite Expeditions today denied that it had withheld the climbing certificates of Australian woman climber Rochelle Gilmore.

In a rejoinder to a news story published in these columns on the issue, an Elite Exped spokesperson said that on the contrary Gilmore still owed his company $50,000 for her second attempt on Mt Everest in 2023.

Denying all of the recent allegations levelled against Purja, he claimed that Gilmore's complaint was related to an ongoing commercial dispute that's currently in the hands of lawyers.

'It is completely untrue to say that Gilmore has paid in full for her 2023 expeditions. She still owes Elite Exped $50,000 for her second attempt at Everest. We have the invoice, and the DoT are aware of this situation, as are her legal team,' he said.

He also claimed that Elite Exped had already issued the certificates to Gilmore's UK solicitors while the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu and the Department of Tourism were kept informed of this by its lawyers.

'We hope and expect this to be resolved soon as she still owes the company a considerable amount of money relating to her Everest ascent. We had already provided Gilmore's summit certificates to her legal team and the relevant authorities.'

The DoT issued copies of the summit certificates to Gilmore on Friday for scaling Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse in 2023. Gilmore visited the DoT in Kathmandu to apply for her certificates claiming that Purja repeatedly refused to provide her the same. In a request letter to the DoT, Gilmore mentioned that whilst she had paid the Elite Exped (Nims Purja) in full, Purja had not provided her with summit certificates as specified in his company's contract.

The athlete also provided the transaction details and invoices in which she paid Purja a sum of US$ 300,000 for Mt Everest and US$ 100,000 for Mt Lhotse. According to the DoT record, Gilmore made it to the summit of Everest on May 23and reached the summit point of Mt Lhotse on May 25 as she was guided by an IFMGA Guide.

As of today, she has not received her original summit certificates for Ama Dablam, Mount Everest or Lhotse (successfully summited with Elite Exped), nor has she received any proof that they have been shipped/posted to her from Elite Exped/Nims Purja, Gilmore claimed.

'During my visit to DoT last week, I provided the DoT with my expedition contract – between myself and Elite Exped. I also provided my bank statements and invoices proving that I had paid all invoices in full received from Elite Exped for my Everest and Lhotse Expeditions – paid prior to the expeditions,' Gilmore told THT.

According to Gilmore, one year after her successful summits, Elite Exped/Nims Purja have not sent/shipped/posted the original certificates they received from the Nepalese DoT more than one year ago. Nor have they (Elite Exped) provided any proof of shipment/postage regarding the original summit certificates.

'As previously stated to THT, I was not at any point, ever rescued from the mountains of Nepal during my Everest and Lhotse expeditions and, I never made a second attempt to summit Mount Everest or Lhotse. I have never received an invoice from Elite Exped or Nims Purja for a second attempt. To my knowledge, my lawyers have never received an official invoice for $50,000 for a second attempt. In saying this, my contract with Elite Exped clearly states that if a second attempt is required, it will be offered 'Free of Charge', she said.