Everest summiteers seek ID cards

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Everest Summiteers Association has urged the government to provide Everest summiteers with identity cards to help distinguish them as Mt Everest summiteers.

“The government has maintained files of Mt Everest summiteers but it has not yet provided them with ID cards, which will give them worldwide recognition as an Everest climber,” said general secretary of the association Diwas Pokhrel. Speaking during the felicitation programme of Everest Summiteers he also urged the government to grant special facilities for summiteers along with the ID cards.

“We are prepared to simplify the policy level difficulties, therefore representatives from the mountaineering sector should come forward with related issues,” said minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation Posta Bahadur Bogati.

The minister also informed about the growing issues of renewing mountain routes and permission to operate new mountains for trekking and climbing. “There are a number of mountains where the government should allow trekking and climbing, and at the same time some mountain routes are waiting for renewal, therefore the mountaineering association should come up with proper plans,” he said.

During the programme, representatives from Everest Summiteers Association informed about the garbage collection process at Mt Everest. They also urged the government to coordinate with the private sector to operate more such garbage cleaning campaigns at Mt Everest and other peaks.

“There must be a sustainable waste management programme to clean not only Mt Everest but also other peaks of the country,” said Pokhrel. The association, in 2011, had organised the ‘Save Mt Everest clean-up expedition’. It was successful in collecting around 8.1 tonnes of garbage.

The initiative to collect waste dumped at Mt Everest began in 2008. A total of 29 mountaineers were involved in collecting waste from the base camp up to 8700m of Everest for more than a month.

The association collected 1.957 tonnes of garbage in Everest region in spring of 2012. It said the garbage will be utilised to make souvenirs with help from Mind Tree Creative Services. During the programme, the association felicitated Kame Sherpa who had climbed Mt Everest three times in nine days in May 2012.