At that time, it was a matter of courage and bravery to kiss the summit of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. Even the fact that women climbers can climb Mount Everest was not even a matter of belief for many.
Pasang Lhamu Sherpa of Solukhumbu failed to climb Mt. Everest three times. The incident was fresh for many. In this scenario, the Indian woman climber Bechendri Pal, who had climbed Mount Everest for the first time in 1984, came to Nepal preparing to climb Mount Everest for the second time. Nepal's Nima Sherpa and Upasana Malla were also included in the 21-member climbing team led by Bechendri Pal.
The patrons of the Nepal-India joint climbing team were the then Prime Minister of Nepal Girija Prasad Koirala and the then Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao . The climbing team also defeated the then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. Koirala wished for success and provided a joint flag of Nepal-India to be buried on the peak of Everest.
Being the patron of the Mount Everest climbing team, the Prime Minister of India and the Prime Minister of Nepal meeting and greeting the climbing team, it can be estimated how important the issue of women climbing Mount Everest is. At that time, Tourism Minister Ramhari Joshi was also criticized for not meeting the climbing team. The Ministry of Tourism gave an explanation that the Minister of Tourism could not meet because of Princess Diana's visit.
Tenzing's granddaughter Sita Gombu Bharba was also in the climbing team on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary's ascent of Mount Everest. 19-year-old Dikki Dolma was the youngest in the team. The team expected to reach the main base camp in 20 days via Jiri by motor.
At that time, since the road connecting Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu headquarters was not built, we had to walk from Kathmandu to the base camp via Charikot via Arani highway. The base camp was planned to be erected at 21, 22, 24 and 26 thousand 200 feet.
It was planned to reach the summit in the first week of May 2050 during the ascent from the southern face of Everest. To climb, the Ministry of Tourism had discounted the revenue required to climb Mount Everest.
Pasang Lhamu, a woman from Nepal, was also proposed to be included in the team. But Pasang took the stand that she would be included only if she was able to lead the team on behalf of Nepal.
In the spring season, 41 climbing teams took permission to climb Annaparna, Dhaulagiri, Pumori, Makalu, including Everest. Pasang Lhamu of Nepal set a record by climbing Mount Everest on May 10, 2050. She is the first Nepali woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Many women have climbed Mount Everest after her.
This news written by then correspondent Prateek Bhandari was published with priority in the issue of Kantipur on February 24, 2049.
presentation: Rishiram Paudyal
