Nepal marks anniversary of Everest conquest
Source: Agencies |
May 30, 2013, Thursday
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NEPAL celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest, also known as Qomolongma, yesterday by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
Among them was Italian Reinhold Messner, the first climber to scale Everest without using bottled oxygen and the first to climb the world's 14 highest peaks.
"I am here in Nepal again for filming ... not any more for climbing," Messner said, adding he did reach the base camp of Mount Kanchenjunga during his visit.
Nepalese officials offered flower garlands and scarfs to the climbers who took part in the ceremony. They were taken around Katmandu on horse-drawn carriages followed by hundreds of people who marched holding banners to mark the anniversary.
Hillary and Norgay reached the summit of Everest on May 29, 1953. Since then thousands have reached the 8,850-meter peak.
"We should be proud that two great people have opened the door not just to climbing Everest but to tourism for the Nepalese people. It is a great day for us and we as a family are very happy. We are basically in cloud nine today," said Tenzing's grandson Tashi Tenzing.
Tenzing Norgay died in 1986 at age 71. Hillary died of heart failure in 2008 at the age of 88.
Other climbers who have reached the peak of Everest were also honored.
"Sixty years ago exactly on this day, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary made what many people thought impossible possible. So we are very thankful and grateful to them," said Shailee Basnet, 29. She scaled Everest in 2008.
Among them was Italian Reinhold Messner, the first climber to scale Everest without using bottled oxygen and the first to climb the world's 14 highest peaks.
"I am here in Nepal again for filming ... not any more for climbing," Messner said, adding he did reach the base camp of Mount Kanchenjunga during his visit.
Nepalese officials offered flower garlands and scarfs to the climbers who took part in the ceremony. They were taken around Katmandu on horse-drawn carriages followed by hundreds of people who marched holding banners to mark the anniversary.
Hillary and Norgay reached the summit of Everest on May 29, 1953. Since then thousands have reached the 8,850-meter peak.
"We should be proud that two great people have opened the door not just to climbing Everest but to tourism for the Nepalese people. It is a great day for us and we as a family are very happy. We are basically in cloud nine today," said Tenzing's grandson Tashi Tenzing.
Tenzing Norgay died in 1986 at age 71. Hillary died of heart failure in 2008 at the age of 88.
Other climbers who have reached the peak of Everest were also honored.
"Sixty years ago exactly on this day, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary made what many people thought impossible possible. So we are very thankful and grateful to them," said Shailee Basnet, 29. She scaled Everest in 2008.
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