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The event Thursday marked the 72nd anniversary of the first
summit climb of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, by New Zealander
Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.
Nepal's minister for culture and tourism led the celebration in
the capital, Kathmandu, that included a walk around the city and
a gathering at the old palace.
“We are celebrating May 29 as the international Sagarmatha
(Everest) day because the world needs to continue to recognize
the achievement and contribution of Sir Edmund Hillary and
Tenzing Norgay,” said Ang Tshering, who runs Kathmandu-based
Asian Trekking.
The event was not just a celebration for the mountaineering
community but also a festival for Nepal and the world, said
Tshering, who has helped hundreds of clients scale the Himalayan
peaks.
Nepal contains eight of the highest peaks in the world and every
year hundreds of foreign climbers fly to the country in South
Asia to tackle the mountains. The climbers hire thousands of
people in Nepal to assist their climbs by carrying gear, cooking
food and generally taking care of them as they spend weeks in
the mountains.
Nepal's government collects money from the climbers through
permit fees.
The end of May also marks the end of the popular spring
mountaineering season, when climbers finish their adventures and
retreat from the peaks before the monsoon season brings foul
weather.
"This day is celebrated also to mark the end of the climbing
season where we gather climbers and the community," Jiban
Ghimire of Shangri-La Nepal Trek said.
According to Nepal’s Department of Mountaineering, 468 foreign
climbers from 57 countries received permits to climb Everest by
the end of May, along with a roughly equal number of Nepalese
mountain guides.
Many were able to scale the peak, but officials were still
working to verify how many reached the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot)
summit. Climbers must report to the department with proof they
reached the summit and cleared their garbage before they are
issued the official certificate.
Famed Sherpa guide Kami Rita reached the Everest summit for the
31st time Tuesday, breaking his own record for the most climbs
to the top of the famed mountain.
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