KATHMANDU, Nepal- Foreign and Nepali mountaineers made full use of a clear weather window to set several new records by summiting the world’s highest peak on Sunday.
Dr Nima Namgyal Sherpa of Khumjung, Solukhumbu, became the first Nepali medical doctor to summit Mt Everest on Sunday. David Liano Gonzalez, 33, set a new world record by scaling Mt Everest twice in one climbing season.
In another record climbing, two Britons create history in Everest expedition. One, British explorer Daniel Hughes, who spoke to the BBC from the top of the world’s highest mountain using his smartphone, became the first person to give a live interview from the roof of the world, while the other British mountaineer Kenton Cool reached Everest summit for the 11th time, a record for any British climber.
In the line of first, Samina Baig became the first Pakistani woman to scale the world’s highest 8,848 meters high peak. Baig completed the climb with her brother Mirza Ali, who becomes the third and youngest Pakistani male to scale the mountain.
According to the website explorersweb.com, the Pakistani Siblings have climbed under the slogan “Gender Equality”. They are part of the Seven Summit Treks Everest expedition. Ali (29) and Baig (21) are natives of Shimshal village in Hunza valley, Pakistan.
According to Nepal Mountaineering Association, Gonzalez, from Mexico, summited Mt Everest from both Nepal and Tibet sides in one climbing season. The ascent from the north side is Gonzale’s fifth summit of Mt Everest. On May 11, he had scaled Mt Everest from the south side.
Cool, on the other hand, reached the summit of Mt Everest, the second of three summits he is attempting to complete in one continuous climb over the course of 10 days. If successful Cool, who lives in Gloucestershire, will become the first person to achieve the feat. The two peaks he has scaled so far are Everest and Nuptse (7,861m), with Lhotse (8,516m) ascent expected to happen later.
In his 10th climb, achieved in May last year, Cool carried an Olympic gold medal to the summit which fulfilled a pledge made by a member of the 1922 British Everest expedition who failed to do the same. Hughes, who spoke to BBC from atop Mt Everest, reached the summit in an attempt to raise £1m for the charity Comic Relief.
Indian twin sisters, Tashi and Nugshi, were also at the top of the Everest with Baig and Ali. By hoisting Pakistani and Indian flags side by side, the four South-Asians hoped to spread the message of Indo-Pak peace and friendship.
Weathermen have forecast the “fair weather window” from May 18 to 25 for Everest ascent this spring expedition, according to senior mountaineering officials.
The 8,848-m Mount Everest, saw its first spring summit this year on May 10.
According to the Ministry, altogether 135 climbers made successful Everest ascent on Sunday alone. Around 670 individuals, including 315 foreigners are in a bid to climb Mt Everest.
Last spring, there were 560 individuals, including 335 foreigners, but only 181 made to the top.