trekking in nepal , nepal trekking, nepal trekking news, nepal travel news, visit nepal, nepal information, trek info
|
Everest's daughters show whose new boss in Nepal
|
| KATHMANDU: Five years after climbing the world's highest peak, two Sherpa women in Nepal have broken into another male bastion - they have become the first from their community to start their own trekking agencies. The two - Lakpa Sherpa and Pemba Doma Sherpa - became the first from the community to climb the 8,848 m high peak when they returned in triumph from an expedition in 2000. This year, the duo have set another record by starting their own trekking agencies, a domain that earlier belonged exclusively to men. In 1953, when New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa became the first men to summit Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world was virtually out of bounds for women. While men from the Sherpa community, famed for their ability to bear heavy loads in high altitude and familiarity with the peaks, were in much demand among western mountaineers as guides and porters, the women were expected to stay home and look after the family in the men's absence. Though they often went high among the mountains to graze their flocks and were as hardy as the men, Sherpa women were hired by mountaineering expeditions only as cooks and helpers. Now Lakpa and Pemba with their forays are changing all this. Thirty-two-year-old Pemba founded her own expeditions outfitting company Climb High, which this fall took a team of climbers to Mt Cho Oyu, the sixth highest peak in the world. Pemba led the way and also sent despatches describing the journey, an amazing feat in a community whose women are just learning to read and write. Raised by her grandparents after her mother died when she was only two, she was educated at Khamjung School, one of the chain of schools established in remote Solukhumbu region, the gateway to Mt Everest, by Sir Edmund's Himalayan Trust. Today, she also runs an NGO - Save the Himalayan Kingdom - that strives to provide education to children. Following in Pemba's footsteps, Lakpa too has formed her own trekking company, Sunny Mountain Guides. Born in a poverty-stricken family with 11 siblings, Lakpa never went to school. But today, she is a household name among mountaineers worldwide, holding the record of having climbed Mt Everest the most among women climbers. In May, she scaled the peak for the fifth time, accompanied by her husband George Dijmarescu, a fellow Everesteer who has scaled the peak seven times. Lakpa's company will debut in spring 2006, when she plans to guide an expedition to Mt Everest. However, her husband will not be with her this time. Dijmarescu will be part of an American team that will attempt to scale Mount Everest via a route that has never been attempted before. |
|
Breaking News
|
|
Everest Marathon organizers congratulate Roka Tuesday - 19th August 2008 Media Challenge Rafting in Bagmati Tuesday - 19th August 2008 Fishtail Air adds new chopper Thursday - 12th June 2008 Nepal Promotion Program in South Korea Thursday - 12th June 2008 5th Thuraya-TAAN bike meet June 5 Tuesday - 03rd June 2008 Appa tops Everest record 18th time Monday - 26th May 2008 |
banner
More
News | List
AllNews
_
|
|