Nepal marks anniversary of deadliest avalanche on Mount Everest
Travelbiznews Report—
Kathmandu: Hundreds of mountaineers and alpine organizations paid tribute to 16 Nepalese guides, who died in an avalanche on Everest a year ago on April 18, 2014.
Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) organized a memorial to mark the anniversary of the deadliest avalanche on Mount Everest and pay tribute to the deceased summiteers.
Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Suresh Man Shrestha, President of NMA Ang Tshiring Sherpa and other officials threw light on safety and rescue of guides and mountaineers.
NMA is providing scholarship to the children of the mountaineers who lost their life enroute to the summit of world’s highest mountain last year.
NMA has set up the Mountaineering Disaster Relief and Educational Support Fund ( MDRESF ) to help the children and family members of climbers and guides .
All the expeditions of 2014 were cancelled after the avalanche last year.The Sherpa guides are demanding necessary financial support for their safety and security after the avalanche.
Meanwhile, Nepal has allowed more than 300 mountaineers to climb Mount Everest this season who had abandoned their expeditions last year after an avalanche on the world’s highest mountain.The government has extended last year’s permits upto five years without charging extra fees.
Nepal decided recently to improve weather forecasting, security and rescue efforts, and reduced climbing fees to $11,000 per climber from $25,000, besides changing the traditional route taken by climbers to ascend the peak.
More than 30 expedition teams are already in Mt Everest base camp as the new climbing season begins this year.A large number of Nepalese guides have reached the base camp to support the expedition teams.
April 18, 2015
