KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 28
Nepali mountain guides are playing a crucial role in advancing the country's adventure and mountaineering activities towards professional and competitive ways, said IFMGA/UIAGM Mountain Guide Lopsang Sherpa.
Sharing his thoughts after successfully holding one of the components of Aspirant Guide Course in Rolwaling valley, Lopsang said that the course plays a pivotal role in producing skilled human resources for the field of mountaineering.
"The course consists of three components spanning ten months, laying the foundation for participants to become certified international mountain guides," Lopsang, who climbed Mt Everest six times, shared.
Born in Juving - 1 Kharikhola in Solukhumbu district, the 39-year-old climber is active in both mountain climbing and training mountain guides. "The course offered by Nepal National Mountain Guides Association ensures that those who embark on mountaineering journeys are not only physically prepared but also uphold the ethical standards required in the challenging realm of mountaineering," the IFMGA certified guide said.
Lopsang has 16 years of experience on 8000m peaks as he has led 14 expeditions on Mt Everest from both Tibet and Nepal. "I climbed Everest six times, Manaslu twice and Mt Lhotse once," he added.
Trained mountain guides are the pillars of mountain climbing, he observed. According to him, they could play a life-saving role to others in time of need. "I conducted search and rescue in different mountains," he recounted.
By utilizing his skills, Lopsang actively involved in rescuing Ang Chhongba Sherpa, who slipped from snow at the top of Lobuche Peak (6,119m) on 8th October 2016. While guiding for the Benegas Brothers Expedition on Mt Everest, Lopsang took part in a rescue mission at Camp II on Mt Everest in 2018. "From a deep crevasse at Camp II, IFMGA guide Damai Sarki Sherpa was rescued involving a team of climbers and myself," he recounted. But, Damai Sarki breathed his last on the way to hospital at Namche Bazaar later in the night on 22 May 2018.
As he completed a diploma in mountaineering course with the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association in 2017, Lopsang was selected as mountaineering instructor with the Nepal Mountaineering Instructors Association in 2019. "Since then, I have also been involved in training activities."
