KATHMANDU, Nepal- Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), the mountaineering regulating body in the country, is organizing the 1st Park Young Seok Climbing Competition in coordination with South Korea’s Park Young Seok Foundation.
The competition will be held on November 1 and 2 at the Himalaya Climbing and Training Centre in Balaju, Kathmandu. It will host 60 male and female climbers in two categories- lead and speed. The competition is open to all nationalities and age.
“This competition will commemorate the birth anniversary of South Korean mountaineer Park Young Seok,” said Deebas Bikram Shah, General Secretary of NMA and the Sports Climbing Coordinator. “He was a record-holding mountaineer who disappeared on Mt. Annapurna in October 2011 while setting a new route.”
The event is funded by Par Young Seok Foundation and North Face. “The foundation could have organized this event in Korea but they wanted to promote this sport in Nepal. We have to be thankful,” Shah added.
Artificial wall climbing has been gaining popularity in Nepal, although official national competitions began only 2002 onwards. While few wall climbing venues have been established, the country still does not have wall-climbing facilities of international standard. However, planning is underway to build an international standard climbing venue in Kakani.
“There are a lot of opportunities in Nepal to develop this sport,” said Ang Tsering Sherpa, past president of NMA and honorary member of UIAM, the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation. “We are confident that in future our climbers will contribute in sports climbing.”
NMA plans to make Park Young Seok Climbing Competition an annual event and promote artificial climbing in Nepal.
