Kathmandu [Nepal], May 11 : Setting the perfect tone for the climbing season to conquer the world's highest peak, a team of 10 Nepalese Sherpas, entrusted with the critical task of rope-fixing, summited Mount Everest on Friday.
Led by Dendi Sherpa, the team from Seven Summit Treks, an organisation in Nepal arranging mountaineering expeditions in the country and elsewhere, reached the summit at 8.15 PM (IST), informed Chun Bahadur Tamang, a section officer in the Department of Tourism, Nepal.
"With the completion of the rope-fixing task, foreign climbers and their Nepalese Sherpas, who have acquired necessary permits to climb Mt. Everest, can now attempt to summit the world's highest peak," Tamang said, underscoring the significance of the Sherpas' accomplishment.
The Department of Tourism assigned Seven Summit Treks with the responsibility of fixing ropes from Camp II to the Everest summit this season, reposing its trust in their expertise and experience.
The team of rope fixers comprised Tenjing Gyaljen Sherpa, Pemba Tashi Sherpa, Lakpa Sherpa, Dawa Sherpa, Lakpa Rinjee Sherpa, Namgyal Dorjee Tamang, Dawa Rinjee Sherpa, Pam Dorjee Sherpa, and Suk Bahadur Tamang.
Before conquering the Everest, the team opened the summit route on Mt Lhotse on May 6, showcasing their proficiency in preparing challenging routes for climbers.
Prior to the crucial rope-fixing, which was conducted successfully to enable summiting attempts this climbing season, icefall doctors from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee meticulously opened the route from the Base Camp to Camp II on April 17, securing the treacherous Khumbu icefall with ropes and ladders.
Stressing the growing interest in mountaineering, the Department of Tourism said it has already issued permits to 414 climbers from 41 teams to ascend Mount Everest this season. Those issued permits include 75 women and 339 men.
In comparison to Spring, last year, Nepal has seen a surge in climbing permits, with 478 climbers granted permission in 2023. Tamang revealed that a total of 971 mountaineers from 112 climbing groups have obtained permission to ascend 30 mountains, including the Everest, this season.
The season has also proven fruitful in terms of revenue, with a total royalty of Nepali Rs 674.7 million collected from mountaineering permits, of which Nepali Rs 592.3 million was in lieu of permits to summit Mount Everest, underscoring the economic importance of mountaineering tourism in the land-locked Himalayan country.
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