KATMANDU: The first attempt to climb Mount Saipal in Bajhang district failed. This summit (7,031 meters) is still not conquered, even 70 years after humanity’s engagement with the Himalayan summits.
Although a 37-member team of mountaineers attempted to climb Mount Saipal four years ago, it was unsuccessful. Tourism entrepreneurs had taken the initiation of the mountaineering expedition to Mount Saipal in 2075 BS, claiming that the mountaineers only focused on climbing the peaks of the eastern Himalayas.
Twenty climbers from three expedition teams had obtained permission from the Ministry of Tourism to climb Mount Saipal from mid-October to mid-November. Pechhumbe Sherpa, a mountaineering guide, said four Sherpas and two Spaniards who attempted to climb the summit gave up after reaching 5,500 meters.
Their expedition was managed by the Sherpa Himalaya Under Company. “This mountain is technically a difficult mountain; so we had to abandon our expedition for lack of preparation, ”he said. Sherpa still believes that Mount Saipal can be climbed if climbers are able and properly prepared.
According to him, although Sherpa guides paved the way for climbing to the summit by tying 1,200 meters of rope, the climbers, including four Nepalese women, said they could not climb and the attempt was unsuccessful.
Guides believe that the ascent to the summit would be possible if experienced mountaineers attempted alpine climbing or climbing without a rope.
Although more than 100 peaks have been identified in the far west of the country and open for climbing, none have yet been climbed. Therefore, tourism entrepreneurs urged the ministry to expand cooperation to successfully ascend these peaks.
“The department should attract mountaineers by building roads to the base camp and other physical infrastructure and publicizing these pristine peaks to promote tourism and mountaineering activities in this part of the country,” Bhojraj said. Bhatta, in charge of the base camp of the Mount Saipal expedition. .
Although the government has waived the fee for the mountaineering expedition in the western region for 20 years in an effort to develop tourism in this region, it has not yet been escalated.
However, the Ministry has started collecting royalties in recent years. The department collected revenues of Rs 481,000 until 2075 BS from mountain expeditions in the far west region.
A climber, who went to climb Mount Saipal, said that of 403 mountains identified and opened by the government for an expedition, Saipal is the main attractive mountain.
Claiming that there are around 150 mountains in the western region that have yet to be climbed, he suggested that the three levels of government should expand the expedition by bringing special packages.
The inhabitants had welcomed the climbers, who had left for the last time, in Chainpur, the seat of the Bajhang district, expressing their happiness that the expedition took place for the first time in the Far West.
A total of 37 people, including members of the expedition team and locals, attended the base camp. Two shippers, who had already climbed 14 peaks above 8,000 meters from the world, were also part of the team.
