Kathmandu, February 7:

Representing the will of a section of tourism entrepreneurs, expedition tourism professional Bikrum Pandey has proposed to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to christen a route on Nepal side of Mt Everest as ‘Hillary Tenzing Route’.

Naming the route after Hillary and Tenzing would be the most appropriate tribute to these two individuals who pioneered the route to Mt Everest, pointed out Pandey who is also the president of the Himalaya Expedition. The organisation claims to conduct a maximum number of expeditions from India and Tibet. The Nepalese route may be promoted as a spiritual and legendary route established by Sir Edmund Hillary and his companion Tenzing Norgay.

This would attract other climbers wanting to emulate these legends, thereby multiplying the number of climbers at the Everest from Nepal side. It would make the route more appealing than the North Ridge route, which in turn would generate more revenue and logistics supports for the government and the local economy.

“I have expressed our wish, now it is up to the Nepal Tourism Board to make a decision,” said Pandey.