K2 summiteers to be felicitated in Pokhara

A group of 10 Nepali mountaineers who set a world record by scaling Pakistan's K2 (8,611 meters), the world's second-highest peak that had never been climbed in winter before, will be felicitated in Pokhara. 

The felicitation programme is scheduled to take place at Pokhara Airport on February 6, in honour of the climbers.  The programme will be organised by Pokhara Tourism Council, an umbrella organisation of institutions working on tourism.

Surrounded by people from various walks of life, well-wishers along with musical bands, the team will go through Naya Bazaar, Mahendrapul, New Road, Zero KM, Hallan Chowk and Lakeside before reaching Mount Kailash Hotel where the programme will conclude, said the programme organisers. 

"This is a great moment to make Nepal's image high. It is a matter of happiness to honour and felicitate a Nepali team, which has made the country known to the world by scaling the mountain, in a tourism hub, Pokhara," said the Council's President Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai at a press conference held on Friday. 

Objecting to rules and regulations set by the government that have affected the arrival of tourists to the country, he urged the government to make arrangements for the tourists who have received COVID-19 vaccines wanting to visit Nepal, and the implementation of an enterprises stimulus fund worth Rs one billion instituted by Gandaki Province at the earliest.  

On the occasion, Sushil Raj Poudel, President of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), Western Region, said the ascent of the killer mountain has helped make Nepal known to the world. TAAN, Western Region is the coordinator of the felicitation programme while Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Gandaki Province is the co-coordinator. 

President of the NMA, Gandaki Province Sheshkanta Sharma expressed the hope that scaling of the mountain by the Nepali team has imparted a positive message to promote adventure mountaineering tourism by attracting tourists to this adventure. 

A team of 10 Nepali mountaineers on January  16 successfully climbed the Savage Mountain. The summiteers' team led by Nirmal Purja 'Nims Dai' included Migma David Sherpa, Migma Tenji Sherpa, Gyaljen Sherpa, Pem Chiri Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Migma Ji Sherpa, Dawa Tenjing Sherpa, Kilu Pemba Sherpa and Sona Sherpa. 

Although attempts were made for the first time in-between 1987 and 1998 to summit K2 in winter, the team led by Nirmal Purja succeeded in reaching atop the mountain in winter for the first time. 

Meanwhile, six mountaineers from Gandaki State would be feted on that day for their successful climbing of Dhampus Peak (also known as Thapa Peak-6019m) on January 16, according to Pom Narayan Shrestha, Vice-President of the Council. 

The climbing members of the Dhampus Peak expedition were Tashi Pasang, Man Gurung, Sanak Kumar Jugjali, Dipesh Babu Subedi, Sudeep Gautam and Hira Kumari Malla.

Source: RSS