KATHMANDU, MAY 19
Renowned Ukrainian guide Valentyn Sypavin climbed Mt Everest this morning, making his second summit to the top of the world in just nine days.
His second summit, however, created confusion among the mountaineering stakeholders how Valentyn scaled the world's highest peak twice having a single Everest climbing permit.
Valentyn has obtained a permit for Everest and another for Lhotse from the Department of Tourism this season. Many believe that one permit is just for one summit.
"When consulted with DoT, officials clearly informed that Valentyn could make multiple summits within the permitted 75 days but DoT would only recognize the first summit," Pemba Sherpa, Managing Director at 8K Expeditions said. According to him, Valentyn's plan for triple summits on Everest this spring was well shared with the officials concerned at DoT before running the expedition.
Valentyn first scaled Everest on May 11. Each foreigner must pay US$ 11,000 to the DoT to get a climbing permit for Everest.
Nepali photojournalist Purnima Shrestha also made her second summit to the top of Everest. She, however, scaled the mountain as a member on May 12 and as a support staff this morning. "Purnima's case has some valid logic but Valentyn's case is strange as well as unnatural," other climbers reacted.
Without sharing details, DoT's director Rakesh Gurung only said that he had two permits – for Everest and Lhotse.
Anshu Jamsenpa, who scaled Everest twice in a season was, however, asked to buy two permits for dual summits in 2017, DoT record shows.
