Category: Mount Kilimanjaro

Tenzing Norgay GM OSN, was and still is one of the most popular people around the Himalayas. Recognized as the fist sherpa to summit Mount Everest, he is also known as Sherpa Tenzing and was a Nepalese-Indian Sherpa mountaineer born Namgyal Wangdi. He was part of the first pair of individuals confirmed to have reached the peak of Mount Everest, accomplishing this feat alongside Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. Norgay was recognized by Time as one of the 100 most influential individuals of the 20th century. On May 28, 1953, two men found themselves at the summit of Mount Everest, standing 29,031 feet above sea level, where they became the first people to reach this historic milestone. Tenzing Norgay, with his warm smile, embraced Edmund Hillary, a farmer from New Zealand, as they took in the breathtaking views on the ridge. This mountain is revered by Tibetans and Sherpas as Chomolungma, or "Mother Goddess of the Earth," and known as Mount Everest to the former British empire. Following the expedition, both men were hailed as heroes. While Hillary received more recognition, it is worth noting that Norgay had made five previous attempts to climb Everest and his extensive knowledge was crucial to their success. The vertical rock just below the summit is now known as the Hillary Step, in honour of Hillary. In 1995, Hillary was knighted as a Knight of the Garter, while Norgay received the lower-ranked George Medal. Many aspects of Norgay's life remained a mystery until after his death. Although he spoke six languages, he was illiterate and his autobiography, "Tiger of the Snows," was heavily edited by a ghost-writer. While the book suggests Norgay was born in Nepal, later accounts suggest he was actually from Tibet. It is speculated that Norgay may have obscured his

The remains of one of the Japanese climbers who had gone missing on Spantik peak in Shigar Valley were located on Saturday, five days after their disappearance, according to officials. Shigar Deputy Commissioner Waliullah Falahi confirmed that the body of one of the climbers, Ryuseki Hiraoka, has been found. He stated that a rescue team of nine members was able to recover the body and has secured it at a safe location, while also continuing the search for the other missing climber, Atsushi Taguchi. The deputy commissioner added that the rescue operation has been halted and the team returned to base camp on Saturday evening. Karrar Haidri, the secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, reported that rescuers located the body of one of the two Japanese climbers who had gone missing while scaling Spantik Peak, also known as Golden Peak, after an extensive search operation. The golden hue of the mountain at sunrise and sunset makes it a popular destination. Haidri quoted a top administrator in the town of Shigar, Waliullah Falahi, who stated that the body of the Japanese climber had been moved to a safer location. Pakistani authorities were working with the Japanese Embassy in Islamabad to confirm the identity of the deceased climber. It was previously stated that the two missing climbers, Ryuseki Hiraoka and Atsushi Taguchi, were attempting to reach the summit of the 7,027-meter (23,000-foot) Spantik Peak. Several climbers die in Pakistan each year while attempting to summit some of the world's highest mountains, including K2. Earlier in the day, the rescue team went down 300 meters into a crevice to save the missing climbers, who were suspected to have fallen there. Mr. Falahi mentioned that there hasn't been a decision yet on bringing the body down from the peak. The final decision will

The mountaineering community has been rocked by serious accusations against one of its most prominent figures. However, insiders claim that the issue is not limited to just one person. The fallout from the allegations against rockstar British-Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault, has resulted in brands and tour companies distancing themselves from the 40-year-old. However, members of the community believe that the culture of mountaineering as a whole needs to change to create a safer environment for women. The controversy began on May 31 when Lotta Hintsa, a mountaineer and model from Finland, accused Purja of serious misconduct in a hotel room in Kathmandu last year. Hintsa claimed that he forcibly undressed her and exposed himself. Another victim, US doctor April Leonardo, came forward with similar allegations. She stated that during a 2022 expedition to K2, the second-highest mountain in the world in Pakistan, Purja entered her tent and kissed her without consent. Leonardo was a client of Purja's company Elite Exped, which provides guided climbs on the highest mountains. In response, Purja vehemently denied the allegations via an Instagram story, calling them defamatory and false. MP calls for ban on climber Nims Purja, Osprey ends partnership over sexual abuse allegations MP Rajendra Bajgain has called for the government to prevent well-known climber Nirmal "Nims" Purja from returning to Nepal. This request comes following a report in The New York Times alleging that Purja had committed sexual assault. According to the article, Finnish climber Lotta Hintsa and American physician Dr. April Leonardo have accused Purja of sexual misconduct during their joint expeditions. During a session in the House of Representatives on June 4, Nepali Congress MP Bajgain declared that Purja's actions have damaged Nepal's reputation, not only due to these recent allegations but

Highlighting Noel Odell, the last person to actually see Mallory and Irvine climb towards the summit of Everest on that fateful day that they disappeared. The 100th anniversary of a well-known mystery in mountaineering is being commemorated this year: did George Mallory and Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine reach the top of Everest on 8 June 1924? Geologist Noel Odell last spotted them high on the mountain, with Mallory appearing to still have the strength to continue towards the summit. However, they disappeared into the clouds and were never seen again. Mallory's remains were discovered in 1999, but the mystery of whether they reached the summit remains unsolved due to the lack of conclusive evidence. Even earlier on as Mallory and Irvine struggled to put on their heavy oxygen masks, expedition geologist Noel Odell took their picture. At 22, Irvine calmly watched while Mallory adjusted his mask. At 8:40 a.m., the pair left with eight Tibetan porters for Camp V. The next morning, with just four porters, they pushed on to Camp VI near the summit. They left notes for other expedition members at Camp IV before moving. Facing numerous challenges en route, the climbers were last seen moving quickly toward the summit ridge. Odell, well-acclimatized to the altitude, was out looking for them when he saw a small black spot on the snowmaking progress. He could tell even from a distance that it was Mallory and Irvine. Unfortunately, they did not return to Camp VI as anticipated and were never seen again. Their disappearance raised many questions and led to speculation for decades. In the mid-1990s, Jochen Hemmleb became obsessed with locating Mallory and Irvine's remains. He sought to remove the layers of myth and speculation to solve the mystery. His findings and conclusions provided insight and brought about the start

Karl Egloff, a Swiss-Ecuadorian, holds the record for the fastest ascent on Kilimanjaro when made an impressive climb of Kilimanjaro on 13th August 2014, completing the ascent in 4 hours and 56 minutes. This surpassed the previous record set by Kilian Jornet, who had achieved the climb in 5 hours and 23 minutes the year before. Like Kilian, Karl took the route from Umbwe Gate to Uhuru via the Western Breach and then descended to Mweka Gate. After a brief 4-minute rest at the summit, he descended to the park gate in 1 hour and 42 minutes, totalling a remarkable 6 hours and 42 minutes for the entire ascent and descent. But that wasn't the end of it. Karl then made his way back down to the gate in an astonishing time of 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 24 seconds. You can witness Karl’s incredible climb by clicking on this link to Karl Egloff’s world-record ascent. It normally takes between 5 days to 9 days to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, with the 5-day Marangu Route being the shortest time offered by most Kilimanjaro trekking companies and the 9 days Northern Circuit Route being the longest time you use to climb Kilimanjaro via the Northern Circuit Route. Now imagining these climbers doing both the ascent and descent in just a few hours, is mind-boggling, because Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in the whole of the African continent. The most recent three attempts to climb and descend Kilimanjaro have followed the same plan - a direct ascent up the challenging Umbwe route, followed by a run down the designated descent route, Mweka. Fortunately, climbing Kilimanjaro does not require technical skills or equipment; the summit can be reached using steep trails while avoiding sheer cliffs. The record-setters reached the top with minimal gear,