E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, MAY 18 - Happiness saw no bounds for Kalpana Shrestha when she got the news that her husband has successfully scaled the highest peak of the world on Wednesday.

Her husband, Gyanendra Kumar Shrestha was among the two dozen civil servants who had headed for Everest earlier on April.

She said that she was wide awake the whole Tuesday night, when the team made their way to the peak from the last base camp, as the fear of losing her husband kept hunting her in every bits of time. Gyanendra had become a father of one month old child when he decided to take over the daredevil feat leaving beside his wife and his bundle of joy.

Nine civil servants have successfully reached Everest on Wednesday morning.

Though the initial expeditors were fifteen, the four members of the team returned back due to health problems, while Lila Mani Poudel, the team leader, was called back by the government after he was appointed as the Secretary of Home Ministry on Saturday. Lakshman Bhattarai, the oldest member of the team, remained managing the base camp as he could not ascend owing to health reasons.

With the death of Former Foreign Minister Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay, Japanese climber Takashi Ozaki and American climber Ritch Hitch in the Everest this year, the Civil Servants team garnered much skepticism that Everest is not their pie. Nonetheless they made it.

And despite the common belief that only Sherpas can make a way through mountains, these conquerors have also shattered the fallacy.

The conquerors, Tulsiram Bhandari, Subir Shrestha, Hari Dhakal, Khimlal Gautam, and Santa Kumar Maharjan reached the acme of the world at 5:45 A.M on Wednesday while Gyanendra Kumar Shrestha, Hari Guragai, Sureth Pokhrel and Padam Bhandari were on the top at 6:45 A.M. The team members were assisted by fifteen Sherpas.

"The Government of Nepal and Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation congratulate the brave civil servants who successfully ascended Mt. Everest despite adverse weather conditions and ailing health," press statement released by the Ministry read.

The statement also thanked all the organizations and Medias for their support to make the campaign a success.

"I was over the moon with joy when I heard the news," Biva Maharjan, wife of Santa Kumar Maharjan said.

"The opportunity like that will come only once in a blue moon and I am glad that he utilized it to its fullest."

"Eight of the members have descended to camp 2 while Padam Bhandari wanted to rest due to exhaustion so he is resting at camp 4 and will reach the base camp on Thursday," Executive Director of Mountain Academy of Nepal, Lakpa Suti Sherpa said.

Under Secretary of Ministry of Tourism and Aviation Kamal Prasad said that the ministry has been hearing of the adverse mountain condition however, the civil servants scaling in such condition is appreciable.

Posted on: 2011-05-18 11:59

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