BAJHANG, DECEMBER 28
The first attempt to scale Mt Saipal in Bajhang district was unsuccessful. The 7,031-metre tall peak is still not conquered even 70 years after mankind's engagement with the Himalayan peaks.
Although a 37-member team of mountaineers had attempted to climb Mt Saipal four years ago, it was an unsuccessful venture.
Tourism entrepreneurs had taken initiatives for the mountaineering expedition on Mt Saipal in 2018, saying the mountaineers were focused only on climbing peaks in the eastern Himalayas.
Three expedition teams comprising 20 climbers had taken permission from the Department of Tourism to climb Mt Saipal in mid-October and mid-November.
Pechhumbe Sherpa, a mountaineering guide, said four Sherpas and two Spaniards who attempted to scale the peak gave up the expedition after reaching 5,500 metres.
Their expedition was managed by Sherpa Himalaya Under Company. "This mountain is technically difficult to climb. So, we had to abandon our expedition due to lack of preparation," he said. Sherpa still believes that Mt Saipal can be scaled if the climbers are capable and adequate preparations are made.
"Although Sherpa guides opened the climbing route to the summit by tying a 1,200-metre rope, the climbers, including four Nepali women, said they could not climb so the attempt was unsuccessful," he said.
The guides believe ascent on the peak will be possible if skilled mountaineers attempt alpine climbing or climbing without rope. Although more than 100 peaks have been identified in the far-west region of the country and opened for climbing, none of them have been scaled yet. Therefore, tourism entrepreneurs have urged the department to extend cooperation to make the ascent of those peaks successful.
"The department should attract mountaineers by constructing route up to the base camp and other physical infrastructure and publicising these virgin peaks to promote mountaineering tourism and activities in this part of the country," said Bhojraj Bhatta, base camp manager of Mt Saipal Expedition.
Though the government had waived royalty for mountaineering expedition in the western region for 20 years with the aim of developing tourism of this region, the mountain not been summited yet.
However, the Department has started taking royalty for the past few years. The Department has collected revenue worth Rs 481,000 till 2018 from mountain expeditions in the Far-west region.
A climber, who went to climb Mt Saipal, said, "Of the 403 mountains identified and opened by the government for expedition, Saipal is the most attractive mountain. There are around 150 mountains in the western region which have not been climbed yet," he said. He suggested that the three tiers of government should expand expedition by unveiling special package.
Locals had expressed happiness and welcomed the mountaineers at Chainpur, the district headquarters of Bajhang as the expedition was taking place for the first time in the Far-west region.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 29, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
