Spring climbing season begins as Sherpa team completes rope fixing on Mt Everest

KATHMANDU: This year's Spring mountaineering expedition has begun as a team of Sherpa climbers completed fixing ropes on Mt Everest, the world's highest peak, on Saturday. As part of the rope fixing, mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa, 52, scaled the world's highest peak (8,848.86 metres) for a record 26th time, breaking his own previous record for climbing Mt Everest most times. The fixing team led by Kami Rita included Sona Sherpa, Ngima Tashi Sherpa, Phurba Tsering Sherpa, Tenjing Gyaljen Sherpa, Lakpa Tenji Sherpa, Phurba Kusang Sherpa, Mingma Dandhu Sherpa, Pastenji Sherpa, Tareman Tamang and Phurba Chhotar. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Department of Tourism confirmed the beginning of the mountaineering season on Saturday. At present, around 90% of mountaineers at the Everest Base Camp are waiting for a green signal to climb the peak, said Surya Prasad Upadhyay, director of the Department's mountaineering section. "As part of the rope fixing, Kami Rita Sherpa reached atop the peak for a record 26 times, it has been learnt. We will officially announce the opening of Everest for the expedition after verifying it," he said. The Department is expected to get the highest number of Mount Everest climbing as this season is favourable. A team of 11 Sherpa summiteers from the Seven Summit Treks successfully scaled the peak as per the rope fixing. The rope fixing team announced the beginning of the climbing season, at 6:55 pm on Saturday. Last year, the spring climbing season began on April 27, 2021.

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