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Motley bunch to take a shot at scaling Mt Everest
KATHMANDU, DEC 24 - The challenge and beauty of the world’s tallest summit Mount Everest has not ceased despite hordes of records made and over 1,300 successful ascents. An American granny, a British father-son duo, and a diabetic patient are all set to challenge the 8,848 metre tall peak this spring.
The successful ascents of the peak by the people challenged in various ways — blind, disabled, elderly and others — have further enhanced the allure of this mighty peak. A significant number of aspiring summiteers are awaiting the spring season this year to scale Everest, says Ang Tshiring Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). "It has become a challenge in itself to find an area to set record on Everest," he quipped.
Nancy Norris, 60, grandmother of four from Flint, Michigan, is planning to become the oldest American woman summiteer. Norris, an aerobics instructor and an athlete, has successfully climbed over 15 peaks in four different continents, and has attempted several 8,000-metre-plus Nepali peaks, including 8,201-metre Cho-Oyu.
Charles Burr, 50, and his son, Oliver Burr, 22, are hoping to become Britain’s first father-son duo to climb Everest together. Sadly they won’t be the first such pair. Last May, Yuichiro Miura, 70 and his son, Gota Miura, 33, from Japan became the first father-son duo atop the highest mountain.
Will Cross, 36, a school teacher from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been diabetic since he was nine. Despite his physical problem, Everest’s magic attracted him. He will take 4,000 calories in a specially prepared diet — rich in proteins and
carbohydrates — and will be closely monitoring and managing his blood sugar level using insulin.
Cross successfully climbed the 16,067 ft high Mount Vinson, the highest mountain in Antarctica. The success aspired him to try Mt Everest, and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.
However, this season is not going to attract all the unique climbers.
In 1998 Tom Whittaker, an American, scaled Everest with an artificial leg to become first disabled person, and in 2001 another American, Erik Weihenmayer, became the first blind summiteer on the summit.
Last year, marking the golden jubilee of man’s first ascent on Everest, 25 teams headed to Everest and 163 people reached the top, setting about half a dozen new records.
A 15-year-old Nepali girl, Ming Kipa Sherpa, became the youngest summiteer, and a 70-year-old Japanese Yuichiro Miura became the oldest man atop Everest last season. Similarly, Apa Sherpa of Solukhumbu made it to Everest for the record 13th time and another Sherpa, Lakpa Gelu scaled Everest in record time of 10 hours. A Nepali Sherpa family of three also reached the summit.
"With the galore of records, the record-breaking attempts will hardly be new in mountaineering, yet its beauty will always attract the challenge seekers," Aang Tshiring Sherpa said. Come the next season more than a dozen teams have planned for the Everest summit, including a Bangladeshi team of six.Posted on: 2003-12-25 05:23
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