British climbers first foreigners to scale Mt Everest in two years

Kathmandu, May 12

Renowned British climber Kenton Cool, along with fellow mountaineer Robert Lucas and two Sherpa guides, successfully reached the top of Mt Everest, becoming the first foreigners to climb the mountain in the spring season, according to Gyanendra Shrestha, an official at the Department of Tourism.

Nine Sherpas reached the summit yesterday to fix ropes on Mt Everest top, opening the way for others to make a final attempt to scale the mountain.

The peak drew a blank in the last two years, following back-to-back disasters.

Kenton, 42, and Lucas, 53, stood on the top of Mt Everest at 8:15pm, becoming the first expedition members to have scaled Mt Everest after 2014.

Kenton, who holds the record of scaling Mt Nuptse, Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse in a season in 2013, became the first Briton to have climbed Mt Everest 12 times.

Mexican climber David Liano Gonzalez, along with his guide Pasang Rita Sherpa, also made it to the top of Mt Everest at 8:28am. The expedition was handled by Asian Trekking, Shrestha, who is now at the base camp, added.

Mountain guides of the HG Everest Expedition 2016 - Pemba Bhote from Hatiya, Sankhuwasabha, and Dorchi Gyalzen from Khumjung, Solukhumbu - also reached the summit, along with the Britons, as they were part of Kenton’s expedition, Iswari Paudel, owner of the Himalayan Guides, told THT after holding satellite phone communications with summiteers.

“They left for the summit immediately after nine Sherpas fixed climbing ropes to the summit point on Wednesday,” he added.

A few climbers were also headed for the summit push while Kenton and team members have been descending to lower camps, said base camp officials.

According to them, nearly 40 climbers, including 14 from Mountain Experience, eight from Jagged Globe and two Himalayan Guides headed towards the summit aiming to be atop the mountain by tomorrow morning.

“Depending upon weather condition, the summit pushes will continue for a few more days.”

DoT record shows that 289 mountaineers from 38 countries obtained climbing permits this season for Mt Everest representing 34 teams while the department issued 78 permits (11 teams) for Mt Lhotse and 44 permits (seven teams) for Mt Nuptse.

At least 20 climbers have already given up their bid to scale Mt Everest citing health reasons.

The government has collected only Rs 176 million as royalty from Everest climbers as 69 mountaineers reused their permits issued in 2014/15, the DoT record states.

Three foreigners, along with their mountain guides, scaled the world’s highest peak this morning after trained Sherpa guides opened the normal route to Mt Everest yesterday.