Five Everest Climbers Awarded

Former PM Dahal presenting award to South Korean climber Um Hong Gil

Kathmandu: Former Prime Minister and Co-Chairperson of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Puspa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) awarded five Everest Summiteers with Sagarmatha bravery awards and appreciation letters at a function held in Kathmandu Tuesday.

The award function was organized by Prakash Dahal Foundation to mark the 38 birth anniversary of late Prakash Dahal.

The awardees include South Korean mountaineer Um Hong-Gil, Women mountaineer Maya Sherpa, Icefall doctor Ang Sarki Sherpa, Chhiring Chundu Sherpa and Nepal government’s section officer Gyanendra Kumar Shrestha.

Recently, on the occasion of Everest day, the same Korean climber Um Hong –Gil was awarded Sagarmatha national award with a purse of Rs 1,00000 and citation letter.

Korean gil has already summited all 14 mountains above 8000 meters. He is now engaged in constructing a mountaineering school in Manang by investing an estimated amount of Rs 20 million.

Gil’s foundation has constructed 16 schools in various districts and supported 5000 poor children with scholarships to study in Nepal.

Section officer Gyanendra Shrestha had worked as a liaison officer and then a section officer for the Nepal government and summited Everest in 2011. He is the only government contact official stationed at Everest base camp.

Maya Sherpa has successfully summited Mt. Everest three times and she is the second Nepali woman climber to summit the second highest peak K2. She has climbed 9 mountains above 8000 meters.

Similarly, climber Chhiring Chundu Sherpa has climbed Everest eight times, Cho Oyu one time and Manaslu two times. Likewise, Icefall doctor, Ang Sarki Sherpa is engaged in the mountaineering profession for the last 13 years.

Two other physically able persons of conflict time were also awarded purse. Rs 100000 awarded to former Maoist militant Dharma Bahadur Oli. Oli has been sick from cancer for a long time. Similarly, a 13-year cancer patient from Gorkha, Pallavi Shrestha was given Rs 100000 on the occasion.