KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 27
A climber from Jordan has reportedly obtained a summit certificate from Nepal Mountaineering Association by producing a fake photo of the Mera peak summit, THT's investigation has revealed.
Abdul Rahim Al-Arjan, who claimed to have scaled Mera peak honouring the Jordan monarch, presented a fake summit photo while he never reached above the high camp last October.
NMA's General Secretary Mohan Lamsal issued a summit certificate to Al-Arjan on December 6 endorsing his fake claims, sources claimed. Al-Arjan told NMA that he stood atop Mera Peak (6,470m) on 26 October 2023 being part of an expedition managed by Kathmandu-based Fourteen Summits Pvt. Ltd.
The photo presented to the NMA has, however, shown other three climbers standing at the summit of Mera Peak in the Everest region except Al-Arjan. "But, he circulated his own photo taken in the high camp of Mera peak to Jordan media in which he claimed the same as his summit photo," sources said.
Al-Arjan was very slow as he only reached the high camp and did not make it to the summit, fellow climbers recounted. The photo submitted to NMA clearly depicts a different individual. It has been clear that NMA, on the basis of the fake photo, issued a summit certificate to Al-Arjan while he failed to provide any substantial visual evidence, such as real photographs or videos, to substantiate his claim.
"This discrepancy is not only a matter of personal achievement but also one of public trust and integrity within the mountaineering community while Al-Arjan's actions, including utilizing his claim for personal gain, such as conducting television interviews and seeking prize money in Jordan, are deeply concerning," fellow climbers commented.
NMA's President Nima Nuru Sherpa said that it would investigate the issue at the earliest and revoke Al-Arjan's summit certificate if found guilty. "NMA has always been vigilant in safeguarding the authenticity of climbing achievements and preventing misleading claims within the mountaineering community," he said, adding that the NMA board will take the issue seriously.
According to him, NMA issued certificate to Al-Arjan trusting the handling agency - Fourteen Summits Pvt. Ltd. "We will also grill the agency for further action," he added.
Without sharing details, Subin Thakuri, Managing Director at Fourteen Summits Pvt. Ltd, said that Al-Arjan was not his client but shared a climbing permit with his company. "I am writing to NMA tomorrow for the cancellation of his certificate," he said.
