Guinness Acknowledgement to World’s oldest Everest Climber

Min Bahadur Sherchan of Nepal who is now 78 years old has legitimately replaced Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest man to climb Mt Everest. Sherchan, who is a retired solider sets his eyes on breaking his own record. He aims to climb the Mt. Everest once again when he turns 84 in 2014.

“The oldest man to climb Mt Everest is Min Bahadur Sherchan (Nepal b. 20 June 1931) who reached the summit on 25 May 2008 at the age of 76 years 340 days,” the recognition certificate states.

Surendra Sapkota, under-secretary at the Mountaineering Division, Ministry of Tourism, confirmed the recognition. “I have received a copy of the certificate. Sherchan is now officially the oldest man to reach the summit,” he said.

“I am relieved to finally receive the recognition that is rightfully mine,” Sherchan said.

In February, when Sherchan knew that Miura of Japan was given the recognition of oldest man to reach the summit of Everest, he was shocked and in May he met Guinness Book officials in London to enquire about the matter. He realized that due to not completing the necessary formalities, he was set back. Sherchan then couriered a copy of recognition by the Nepal’s government along with an appreciation letter granted to him by President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav. Again during the London visit, Sherchan made a personal claim to the record, filled up necessary documents and provided necessary evidences to support his claim, which finally led to his real identification.

The documentary lapses had made the Guinness Book recognize Miura, who climbed the mountain two days after Sherchan at the age of 75. Miura, who was the first person to ski down Everest South Col in 1970, had set the record in 2003 when he climbed Mt Everest at the age of 70. The record was beaten by another Japanese climber Katsusuke Yanagisawa 2007. And in 2008, Mr. Sherchan set the new record.

Sherchan wishes to set up an elderly house, an orphanage for orphans and street children, and establish an international intellectual shelter to study the environment of Nepal and launch a campaign to save the earth from effects of climate change.