Summit route opens from Nepal side, 14 ascend Everest

KATHMANDU: A team of rope-fixing climbers successfully scaled Mt Everest from Nepal side after they opened a climbing route to the summit point of the world’s highest peak on Monday afternoon.

Base camp officials told THT Online over phone that a team of climbers including Pema Chhiring and Pem Chhiri from Gaurishankar of Rolwaling reached the summit point at around 1:25 pm, becoming the season’s first team to scale Mt Everest from Nepal side.

At least 12 other climbers including team leader for the British Gurkha Everest Expedition and Chairman of Himalayan Ski Trek Krishna Thapa Magar, Managing Director of Pioneer Adventure Treks Lakpa Sherpa, climbers Thimi Lendup Gurungand Pasang Sherpa among others also reached the summit point, the base camp officials said, referring to the satellite communications made from top of the Mt Everest at 1:30 pm.

Others who stood atop the world's highest peak are Kanchha Nuru Sherpa, Lakpa Gelu Sherpa and Sonam Janbu Sherpa.

“They have opened a climbing route by fixing ropes to the summit point,” Phurba Tenjing Sherpa, a 10-time Everester, said from the base camp.

Pema Chhiring and Pem Chhiri were also part of the British Gurkha Expedition, he said.

A team of climbers which left for Camp IV two days ago struggled hard to find a weather window to head towards the summit point, Mingma David Sherpa, Managing Director of Himalayan Ski Trek, told THT Online over telephone from the base camp.

More than 375 world climbers along with their support staff have been waiting for a fair weather to make summit attempts on Mt Everest after acclimatision in the Khumbu region for over a month. The climbers have also engaged in the camp rotations to prepare themselves for the summit pushes.

Expedition officials shared that more than 90 per cent of the liaison officers have not reached the base camp yet to facilitate the world climbers. “Four LOs including one each from Nepal Army and the Everest Summiteers’ Association Nepal are now present in the base camp,” an expedition member said.

As many as 25 climbers including six Indian nationals stood atop the world’s highest peak from the North Col in the Tibet side after nine rope-fixing Sherpas opened a climbing route to the summit point on May 11.

According to expedition organisers, more than 150 climbers along with support staff will make their final summit pushes from north side within the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, Tashi Sherpa of Himalayan Trailblazer said that Sherpas also headed to Camp IV on Mt Lhotse to fix a climbing route to the summit of the world’s fourth highest peak on Monday.

More than 100 climbers along with their support staff will make their final summit pushes once the team fixes the ropes to the top of the mountain.