On May 22 a record 86 mountaineers climbed Everest from Nepal side, the highest ever to have climbed on a single day, breaking the previous record set on May 30, 2005 when altogether 65 had scaled Everest and 62 in 2002. This season a total of 32 expedition teams—another highest figure- received the climbing permit among which 300 were foreigners and 600 Nepali climbers.
This year, media hype about the Beijing Olympics and the plan to bear Olympic torch to the top of Everest took in much of the publicity and coverage unlike any time before. This intensified further after China imposed ban on all Everest expeditions starting as early as March. Nepali side, complying upon the request of Chinese government, also followed suit and disallowed, under strict security supervision, mountaineering expeditions to march beyond South Col between May 1 and 10. The subsequent Tibetan demonstrations that dramatically followed in almost swept the Nepali tourism industry off its hook during the whole of March.
After having taken to 20 cities around the world, the Olympic Torch was successfully taken to the peak of Everest from the Chinese Everest Base Camp by five torchbearers on May 8. " We made it, Beijing welcomes you," exclaimed Tibetan woman Cering Wangmo as she stood holding torch as her other four compatriots unfurled Chinese and Olympic flags. The entire episode, one of the highly dramatized and historic events till now, was broadcast live on Chinese television.
Within 12 days of the Olympic torch, deluge of expeditions were finally released to make it to the summit. This season the first successful ascent took place on May 20. As reports of successful ascents started filtering in, local and international press had much stories to cover as far as making and breaking of world records were concerned.
First, it was the indisputable Appa Sherpa who made it to the Everest summit on May 22 a mind-boggling 18th time breaking his previous record. As usual speculations about whether he will stop climbing the Everest was running the mill. Although he has repeatedly spoken of retiring from commercial climbing, this year Appa told the press that he wanted to draw world's attention to the effect of global warming on the melting of Himalayan glaciers. "Climbing Everest is thrilling as ever but the world should be concerned about the possible hazards to mountains because of global warming and melting of glaciers," 47-year Appa was quoted as saying. On the other hand, his continuous success every year on Everest has only fueled international press to indicate mountaineering as a childish game.
But it sure was a different ball game for Nepali septuagenarian Min Bahadur Sherchan. At 76 years of age, Sherchan became the oldest man to climb Everest at 8:40 in the morning of 26 May, upsetting the previous achievement set by Japanese Katsusuke Yanagishawa, who had made to the summit at the age of 71 last year. " I want to galvanize the entire senior population in Nepal into enthusiasm and devotion to achieve a better life even in old age," remarked Sherchan in his website dubbed 'Senior Citizen Everest Expedition'.
In what can be termed as the first expedition of its kind 'First Inclusive Women Sagarmatha Expedition (FIWSE)-2008' team, consisting of Aasha Kumari Singh, Chunu Shrestha, Maya Gurung, Nawang Phuti Sherpa, Nima Doma Sherpa, Pema Diki Sherpa, Pujan Acharya, Shailee Basnet, Sushmita Maskey and Usha Bista successfully climbed Everest thus breaking a new ground and making a symbolic gesture for women liberation and empowerment. FIWSE is first ever expedition comprising only Nepalese women from various ethnic, geographic and professional backgrounds. The total number of Nepali women climbing the summit of Everest has reached 16, from 6 till last year.
Shailee Basnet became the first woman journalist to climb Everest on May 24. "She never informed us about her decision, we only found it out in Gorkhapatra," expressed her mom. TV journalists Mingma Dorje Sherpa of Nepal Television also climbed Everest on May 23, both following in the footsteps of Kantipur journalist Ang Chiring Sherpa and Nepal Television journalist Kami Sherpa.
Similarly, Australian Mother Cheryl Bart and her 23-year old Daughter Nikii became the first mother-daughter pair to climb not only Everest but the tallest peaks of all continents. They reached the top of Everest on April 1 after having climbed Mckinley-Denali, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson Massif and Kosciuszko.
By climbing Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) on May 2, Austrian Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner became the first woman in the world to climb 11 peaks over 8,000 meters (26,246 ft.) without the support of breathing apparatus. She has clearly taken a lead in a bid to become the first woman to climb all fourteen 8000m peaks. Italian Nives Meroi and Spanish Edurna Pasaban are the other two who have already climbed 10 peaks so far. In another achievement, Ecuadorian mountaineer Ivan Vallejo became the 14th person in the world to climb all the 14 peaks that are above 8000 meters.
From this year the Nepali government has officially begun observing May 29 as the International Everest Day to mark the 1953 victory of Hillary and Tenzing. NTB, government and private sector organized various programs on May 28 and 29 to mark the celebration, which included rallies, mountain film festival, cleaning programs, Namche cultural program etc.
Expression of Tourism
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