Nepal celebrates 72nd anniversary of Mount Everest conquest
Nepal's mountaineering community celebrated the conquest of the world's highest mountain with a rally of climbers, guides and others who gathered for International Everest Day.
The event Thursday marked the 72nd anniversary of the first summit climb of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.
Nepal's minister for culture and tourism led the celebration in the capital, Kathmandu, that included a walk around the city and a gathering at the old palace.
"We are celebrating May 29 as the international Sagarmatha (Everest) day because the world needs to continue to recognize the achievement and contribution of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay," said Ang Tshering, who runs Kathmandu-based Asian Trekking.
The event was not just a celebration for the mountaineering community but also a festival for Nepal and the world, said Tshering, who has helped hundreds of clients scale the Himalayan peaks.
Nepal contains eight of the highest peaks in the world and every year hundreds of foreign climbers fly to the country in South Asia to tackle the mountains. The climbers hire thousands of people in Nepal to assist their climbs by carrying gear, cooking food and generally taking care of them as they spend weeks in the mountains.
Nepal's government collects money from the climbers through permit fees.
The end of May also marks the end of the popular spring mountaineering season, when climbers finish their adventures and retreat from the peaks before the monsoon season brings foul weather.
"This day is celebrated also to mark the end of the climbing season where we gather climbers and the community," Jiban Ghimire of Shangri-La Nepal Trek said.
According to Nepal's Department of Mountaineering, 468 foreign climbers from 57 countries received permits to climb Everest by the end of May, along with a roughly equal number of Nepalese mountain guides.
Many were able to scale the peak, but officials were still working to verify how many reached the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) summit. Climbers must report to the department with proof they reached the summit and cleared their garbage before they are issued the official certificate.
Famed Sherpa guide Kami Rita reached the Everest summit for the 31st time Tuesday, breaking his own record for the most climbs to the top of the famed mountain.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
04-07-2025
- Nahar Net
Turkey battles deadly wildfires as Greece brings blaze in Crete under control
by Naharnet Newsdesk 6 hours Firefighters in Turkey remained locked in a battle to contain flames tearing through forested hillsides in the west of the country on Friday, while similar wildfires in neighboring Greece were largely brought under control. Wildfires that broke out in at least five locations across Turkey's Aegean coastal province of İzmir -- fueled by soaring temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity -- have killed two people, forced the evacuation of tens of thousands and damaged some 200 homes. Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumakli said Friday that firefighters, supported by water-dropping aircraft, remained on the ground battling a deadly wildfire near the town of Odemis for a third day. Elsewhere, emergency crews worked to halt the spread of a new blaze that broke out late Thursday near the district of Buca. The fire near Odemis claimed two lives — a forestry worker who died Thursday trying to contain the flames, and an 81-year-old resident who succumbed to smoke inhalation, according to authorities. "Our intense air and land fight to control the fires in Odemis and Buca," continues, the minister said on X, without providing further details. Another wildfire that broke out Wednesday near the popular vacation destination of Cesme was contained Friday, Yumakli said. The fire prompted the evacuation of three neighborhoods and caused temporary road closures. In Greece, a coastal wildfire on Crete remained under control. But the fire service maintained a large deployment on the island as the authorities feared flare ups due to strong winds. More than 5,000 tourists, hotel workers and local residents were moved out of the area on Wednesday as the blaze threatened seaside resorts. Several areas of the country remain on alert due to the adverse weather conditions. Local authorities in Crete estimate that the wildfire has burned approximately 15 square kilometers (3,700 acres) of land. Turkish officials have not provided an estimate of the total land area consumed by the fires. Authorities said most of the fires Izmir were caused by faults on power lines. Yumakli blamed the blaze in Buca on sparks caused by construction workers using a grinder to cut through metal. Summer wildfires are common in both Greece and Turkey, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.
Nahar Net
04-07-2025
- Nahar Net
Strike by air traffic controllers disrupts travel to, from and over France
by Naharnet Newsdesk 04 July 2025, 15:03 About 40% of flights were canceled Friday at all Paris airports and tens of thousands of passengers were rearranging plans at the height of the summer travel season because of a strike by French air traffic controllers seeking better working conditions. Disruptions started hitting airports around France on Thursday and intensified Friday. The national civil aviation authority asked airlines to cancel 40% of flights Friday at Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais airports serving Paris, half of flights in Nice and 30% of flights in Marseille, Lyon and some other cities. Despite the preventive cancelations, the authority warned in a statement that "disruptions and long delays are to be expected at all French airports." Ryanair was among airlines that announced widespread disruptions, saying in a statement it canceled more than 400 flights affecting 70,000 passengers. The company said the strike affects all its flights over French airspace, as well as traffic in and out of French airports, and urged the European Union to reform air traffic rules. One of the two unions leading the strike, UNSA-ICNA, said in a statement there are not enough employees to handle surging air travel and that inflation is eating away at salaries. The unions also are protesting new reform measures aiming to more tightly monitor their work, prompted by a near-collision at the Bordeaux airport. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot called the union demands — and their decision to strike just as French schools close for the summer and many families head on vacation — "unacceptable."
Nahar Net
23-06-2025
- Nahar Net
Pegasus, Transavia suspend Beirut flights amid Middle east conflict
by Naharnet Newsdesk 23 June 2025, 16:47 Turkish airline Pegasus has scrapped flights to Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon until June 30, and Iran until July 30, as global airlines suspended or reduced flights in the Middle East amid the Israel-Iran conflict. Flights of Air France's low-cost carrier Transavia from Paris to Beirut have also been suspended until June 30 while the Tel Aviv route is closed until September 7. Here is the latest airline situation: - European airlines - British Airways cancelled flights between London's Heathrow Airport and Dubai and Doha on Sunday following U.S. strikes on Iran. But the airline said Monday that it was "scheduled to operate as normal" on those routes. Air France halted flights to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates until at least Tuesday inclusive, the airline said. It also extended the suspension of the Paris-Tel Aviv route until July 14. Germany's Lufthansa group, whose other airlines include Swiss, Austrian and ITA, has suspended flights to the Middle East until June 30. The Amman and Erbil, Iraq, routes were also suspended until July 11. The group will not fly to Tel Aviv and Tehran will until July 31 and is also avoiding the air space of countries involved in the conflict. Greece's Aegean Airlines has stopped Tel Aviv flights until July 12. Its Amman, Beirut and Erbil routes are closed until June 28. No Turkish Airlines flights to Baghdad, Damascus and Tehran are available before July 1. - US and Canadian airlines - United Airlines has warned passengers that flights to and from Dubai scheduled between June 18 and July 3 may be affected and is offering no-fee ticket changes under certain conditions due to Middle East unrest. The U.S. airline has implemented the same flexibility for Tel Aviv flights between June 13 and August 1, allowing customers to rebook for other major European cities. Air Canada has temporarily suspended its daily non-stop service from Toronto to Dubai starting June 18 and warned the suspension could be extended. Travel via a European stopover on a partner airline remains possible, according to its website. American Airlines is allowing customers to change their bookings to Doha without fees for travel originally scheduled between June 19 and July 20. - Asian airlines - Singapore Airlines has cancelled eight flights to Dubai -- two per day from Sunday through Wednesday.
