Humde of Manang and Thame of Solukhumbu to host Ice Climbing Festivals

Kathmandu: Ice climbing festivals are to be hosted not only in Humde of Manang but also in Thame of Solukhumbu from this year.

Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) is the chief organizer of this event while Nepal Climbing Team has also been holding an ice climbing festival in Humde of Manang for the last three consecutive years. Thame in Solukhumbu is organizing the festival for the first time.

According to information released in a press meet held by NMA in Kathmandu on Monday, the ice climbing along with rock climbing festival in Thame will be hosted from January 22 to 29, while Hunde in Manang will host the ice climbing festival from February 1 to 10.

Such festivals are being held to promote adventure sports said the organizers. Thame is a famous spot for world-famous climbers such as Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay who climbed Mt Everest for the first time. Also famous for being the birthplace of Ang Rita Sherpa, who climbed Mt Everest ten times without using oxygen, and for being the birthplace of Kami Rita Sherpa who climbed Mt Everest 24 times.

The Thame festival organizing committee chair Nyingma Sherpa said that such festivals are being hosted to promote the world-famous ice spot so as to attract the tourists by launching the Thame valley ice and rock climbing festivals. The world-famous climber Kami Rita Sherpa who was present at the press conference said he was happy to organize the festival aimed at attracting tourists and highlighting his birthplace.

The ice climbing festival at Hunde is third in its row said NMA chairman Santabir Lama who added that such efforts will add a new feather to the promotion and development of the tourism sector in Nepal. He also said that the locals, the Ice climbing team, and NMA were fully supporting in holding this festival.

Gandaki province assembly member Rajiv Gurung was also present at the press meet who also committed to make the festival successful.