Dhading, April 19

A joint team of mountaineers from three different countries have scaled 5,896-metre Mt Paldor located in Dhading’s Rubi Valley Rural Municipality.

The ascent was made about two weeks ago marking the 25th anniversary of Union of Asian Alpine Association (UAAA), an umbrella body of organisations working in alpine areas of Asia.

The joint team, including nine Koreans, two Mongolians and six Nepalis scaled the mountain on April 7.

“After 1949 and 2010, it’s the third ascent of the mountain made by a UAAA team,” said Ganesh Mountain Tourism Development Committee former chairperson Kul Bahadur Gurung.

The government has not officially opened the mountain for ascent. UAAA and Nepal Mountaineering Association have been constantly pressuring the government to formally open the peak for mountaineering.

So far, only UAAA teams have climbed the mountain, which according to mountaineers, is the nearest peak to Kathmandu.

“It could be a turning point for the development of the rural municipality and the district as a whole if we could promote the mountain as a climbing destination,” said Rubi Valley RM Chairperson Cherung Tamang.

The peak is one of the total 27 mountains managed by Nepal Mountaineering Association.