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Danish Climbers Scale Mera Peak – October 2011

Himalaya — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:26:25 +0000

On October Explore Himalaya organized an expedition to Mera Peak(6654m) for a large group of 13 Danish climbers. The team leader was Ole Andreassen. The team along with 6 climbing sherpas from Explore Himalaya left Kathmandu and flew to Lukla on 7th October from where their trek started. By 19th October the team had reached the High Camp of Mera Peak. They made their summit bid in the early hours of 20th October. Luckily they were successful and at around 5:30 Am (local time) 12 Danish members and 6 sherpas stood jubilantly at the summit of Mera Peak.

Here are some delightful pictures of the expedition taken by Pasang Sherpa (Sirdar):

Enjoying views of snowy peaks while taking a breather

Lunch at a wooded grove

Taking an uphill trail

Base Camp

High Camp

Summit push in the early hours – 20th Oct, 2011

At the summit of Mera Peak(6654m) "Yay!"

"Take our picture too!"

Descent

Easy descent

Snow covered Base Camp

Let's celebrate – Cheers!

Party time -' It's the time to disco (the sherpa way)!'

(Pics courtesy : Pasang Sherpa)

Climb Mera Peak (6654m)

Danish Friends Scale Island Peak (6173m)

Himalaya — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:07:35 +0000

Good friends Anders Løvschal & Anders Lyhne from Denmark have much in common – apart from the obvious, similar first names, both share a passion for travel & adventure and both are engineers.
Travelling to Nepal for the first time, the friends took on a climbing challenge and scaled Island Peak(6173m) in the Everest Region.That they could climb the mountain and reach the summit at one and at first attempt is commendable and EH congratulates them ! They began their trek in the first week of October 2011 and reached the summit of the peak in the early hours of 18th October . Explore Himalaya organized their trekking expedition. We got to meet them once they returned to Kathmandu. Tired but happy nonetheless, both friends shared their experiences.

Anders Lyhne (left) Anders Løvschal (centre) at Explore Himalaya(pic: explore himalaya)

Anders Løvschal – “It was a very, very nice trip. The support has been very great from the beginning. Samden Sherpa our climbing guide took very good of us. I got sick in Lobuche but Samden took very good care of me. Climbing Island Peak was a good experience. We chose the mountain because it was the most technical mountain you could climb without experience. We had no climbing experience but we could reach the summit from Island Peak base Camp in just about 5 hrs. We started climbing at ten past two in the morning, while it was still dark. Being on the Island Peak summit was really fantastic. Not only the peak there were so many beautiful places en route. We have been to Chukhung Ri and the view from there was fantastic. We have been inspired by many mountains in the Nepal Himalaya and we will definitely be back to tackle som e more peaks. But for that we need to go back and take some advanced climbing course.”

Anders Lyhne – “ it was a very nice experience. We had good support and the food was nice along the way. It was my first time at this height. I had done skiing previously but this was an interesting experience. I was really pleased with our climb.”

Climb Island Peak

Notable World Records on the Mountains – Spring 2011

Himalaya — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:42:07 +0000

Notable World Records on the Mountains this Spring 2011:

Apa Sherpa, reached the summit of Mt. Everest for the 21st time - a new world record on 11 May, 2011.
Phurba Tashi Sherpa with 28 ascents to 8000m peaks is now the person with the most number of ascents to the top of 8000m peaks. He has climbed Mt. Everest 19 Times (Second to Apa Sherpa), Mt. Cho Oyu 5 times, Mt. Manaslu 2 times, Mt. Shishapagma once and Mt.Lhotse once.
Swiss Speed Climber Ueli Steck became the record holder for fastest ascent of Mt. Shishapangma (10hrs 30mins ). He reached the Summit of Mt. Shishapangma (8027m) via the South Face Route on 17th April.
American Charlie Wittmack, reached the top of Mt. Everest and became the first person to complete the World Triathlon- an 8,000-mile race from the English Channel to Mount Everest, which the BBC has called “the toughest human endurance event ever conceived”. He accomplished his trip to Nepal by swimming over the Thames river in England & the English Channel and cycling all the way to Tibet from Calais in France.
Chhurim Dolma Sherpa (27yrs) of Nepal became the first Woman to summit Mt. Everest twice in one climbing season (12 May and 19 May).
Carlos Soria (72yrs) of Spain is the oldest person to summit Mt. Lhotse. He reached the top of Mt. Lhose on 21 May.
Arjun Vajpai (17 yrs 11mths) from India became the youngest mountaineer to summit Mt. Lhotse.

Nepal Mountaineering Facts & Figures

Himalaya — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:12:03 +0000

Here are some interesting facts and figures compiled by Mr. Ang Tshering Sherpa of Asian Trekking on mountaineering expeditions to the major peaks in Nepal & Tibet. He had compiled this list with information gathered from: Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (Government of Nepal),China Tibet Mountaineering Association, Nepal Mountaineering Association and the archives of Miss Elizabeth Hawley.

Facts & Figures
Total number of Mount Everest ascents (from 1953 to Spring 2011) stands at 5584, with 3448 climbers reaching the summit of Everest. In Spring 2011 there were 375 ascents to Mount Everest from Nepal side. Out of 234 foreign climbers, 156 summited Mt.Everest. After Nepalese, Americans, British and Indians had the highest number of summiteers on Everest with 39, 27 and 19 summitteers respectively.
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal issued a total of 92 permits to Mountaineering teams to various expedition peaks in this spring season of 2011. Of these, 23 were permits for foreign Mt. Everest expedition teams. There were 65 foreign Expedition teams (consisting of 465 foreign climbers) to various other mountains. The most number of climber (besides Nepalis) on the Expedition Peaks were from USA with 129 climbers, India with 48 climbers and UK with 36 climbers.

Nepal Mountaineering Association issued permits to447 climbing teams with total 2015 foreign climbers in Spring 2011 for climbing various NMA peaks. The highest number of climbers were from the UK with 258 climbers, second were Germans with 240 climber and USA with 190 climbers.

Total economic contribution from Mt. Everest Expedition teams in Spring 2011 was USD 90,15,978, while from other Mountaineering Expedition teams & NMA Peak climbing teams the contribution was USD 67,36,631 & USD71,98,35,625 respectively.

Expeditions on Tibetan Peaks (Spring , 2011)
This climbing season, on the Tibet side of Mt. Everest, there were 17 teams with 139 foreign climbers. 46 foreign climbers,56 Sherpas and 29 Chinese/ Tibetan climbers reached the top of Mt. Everest from North Side this Spring Season. Mt. Cho-Oyu had 10 groups with a total of 112 climbers (including Sherpas). 11 foreign climbers and 12 Sherpas were successful in reaching the summit of Mt. Cho-Oyu. While 8 teams with a total of 60 climbers (including sherpas) ascended Mt. Shishapangma. Only 16 foreign climbers and 7 sherpas could reach the summit of Mt. Shishapangma (from both the South Face and the Normal Route (North Side)).

Explore Himalaya’s Mountaineering Page

Neal Beidleman & Other Members of ‘Mountain Trip Everest Expedition 2011’ summit Mount Everest

Himalaya — Fri, 20 May 2011 06:18:15 +0000

All eight members of the ‘Mountain Trip Everest Expedition 2011’, reached the summit of Mount Everest this morning, May 20, 2011, between 8 AM to 9 AM, together with the climbing sherpas. The expedition has been organized by ‘Mountain Trip’ – a US based adventure company.

Neal Beidleman, one of the members who summitted, is a survivor of the ill fated May 1996 Everest expedition where five climbers, including leader Scott Fischer, lost their lives. Their ordeal on the mountain has been chronicled by John Krakauer in his best selling book “Into Thin Air.” This is the first time that Neal Beidleman has returned to Everest after his fatal climb of 1996.

Explore Himalaya (local organizer of the expedition) congratulates the whole team including Neal Beidleman and expedition leader Bill Allen on their successful ascent.

Mountain trip Everest Expedition 2011
1. Bill Allen (USA)
2. Scott Woolums(USA)
3. Neal Beidleman (USA)
4. Irenuez Szpot(Poland)
5. Greg Mellon (Cananda)
6. Chris Davenport(USA)
7. Newall Hunter (USA)
8. Ephraim Gildor (USA)
Sherpas:
1. Tarke Sherpa
2. Temba Sherpa
3. Da Ounchu Sherpa
4. Karma Galjen Sherpa
5. Da Kusang Sherpa
6. Pasang Tedi Sherpa
7. Mindu Chirri Sherpa
8. Kaji Sherpa
9. Samden Sherpa
10. Da Finjo Sherpa
11. Da Pasang Sherpa

Report on Agence France Presse (AFP)

Nepalese Bureaucrats reach the summit Mount Everest

Himalaya — Thu, 19 May 2011 08:57:19 +0000

Nepal’s Civil Service Expedition team members have reached the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first group of bureaucrats to do so. The 15 member expedition team of civil service employees that had embarked on an Everest expedition about two months ago. Out of the 15 fifteen civil service employees, nine of them made it to the summit of Mt Everest on Wednesday (May 18th, 2011) morning, accompanied by 10 Sherpas.

Mount Everest Images : Spring 2011

Himalaya — Mon, 16 May 2011 09:43:23 +0000

(Photos Courtesy : Tine Mena)

Mount Everest Expedition 2011 – On ‘Top of The World’

Himalaya — Sun, 15 May 2011 10:24:10 +0000

A test of human strength and endurance, an Incredible Journey – Tine Mena’s climb to the Top of The World- Mount Everest (8848m)

Taking the high road to Everest

Up,up and away

Crossing a crevasse

Taking a well deserved rest before summit bid

An early start

Climbing on – One step at a time

Stopping for a breather & to take in the wonderful Himalayan panorama

This is it!!I am on Top of the World- Atop the summit of Mt.Everest

“I felt so much at peace after reaching the summit.I remembered my brother and all the people who had supported me. Though many tried to dissuade us from making the summit bid, as the weather had turned really bad on the 7th & 8th May. Many climbers canceled their summit bid and went down. But me and my Sherpa guide Chirring persisted, and decided to go ahead. By the grace of god, nothing untoward happened and we were able to make it to the top on the morning of 9th May. Only two of us were there at the summit. It was wonderful!”- Tine Mena (As told to EH on 15th May,2011)

Souvenirs & memorabilia

Sherpas – Pack up & ready to descend

This calls for a celebration!!

Read our Interview with the climber.

(Photos courtesy: Tine Mena)

First woman climber from India’s 7 North-eastern States climbs Everest

Himalaya — Wed, 11 May 2011 12:13:50 +0000

Tine Mena, 25-year-old woman climber from India’s Arunachal Pradesh state has become the first Indian to peak Mount Everest this spring, as well as the first woman climber from India’s 7 northeastern states.

Tine Mena, who comes from Roing, a remote village in the Indian state, reached the peak of Everest on 9th May 2011 at 11 a.m. According to our Executive Manager Nabin Trital, the news of her ascent was only confirmed today due to poor weather and communication. Explore Himalaya organized Tine Mena’s Everest expedition.

Read our interview with Tine Mena.

This season, a record 31 men and women from India are attempting to climb the highest mountain. Climb Everest with Explore Himalaya

Congratulations to Tine Mena on the achievement!

Octogenarian Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay plans to become the oldest Everester

Himalaya — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:21:42 +0000

Mr. Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay, an octogenarian and former Nepalese politician is planning to oust Min Bahadur Sherchan from the ‘oldest person to scale Mount Everest’ title by attempting to climb the world’s tallest peak in April. At a press conference in Kathmandu, Upadhyay( 82 years) stated that he will begin his expedition from April 18 and will complete it within 45 days.