Representing Nepal, PM Madhav Kumar Nepal is also going to participate in the meeting

On December 11th, which is marked as “Mountain Day” in the conference; mountaineers around the world are planning Copenhagen March in the leadership of record holder Appa Sherpa. Popular mountaineers around the world will induce developed nations to reduce carbon production and they will sign in support of saving mountains.

A press meeting was organized at Nepal Tourism Board on Monday, November 2nd to declare the plan of the government for the Copenhagen March and about the Ministerial meeting at Everest Base Camp (EBC) that is probably going to be held before 15th November.” The purpose of the meeting at EBC is to direct the attention of the world towards the Himalayas and the troubles the Himalayan people are going to face in the future due to the effect of climate change in Himalayas. (Some folks have profoundly criticized the plan of ministerial meeting at EBC because according to them the world will notice it as the mimicry of Maldives.)

On the meeting, Appa Sherpa, the 19-time Mt. Everest summitter said, “We will do everything possible to make “Save the Himalayas” and declaring the Himalayas as Green Zone campaigns a major success in the international society.

Appa further said, “It is important that the attention of the world community is drawn toward the plight of the people living in the lap of the Himalayas,” While it is urgent that Nepal engage in raising awareness on the issue, it is equally important to clean the heaps of waste disposed at the Everest base camp. Himalayas are the first that made Nepal popular to the world, so it is the duty of the Himalayan summitters to jointly save the Himalayas now.” Appa also discussed about the Dikcho Glacial Lake outburst in 1985 and the potentiality of Imja Glacial Lake outburst.

Another summitter, Shaili Bashnet disclosed the fact in the press meet that there was no Imja Lake until 1960, but now it is going to outburst. “Guess how fast the climate change is affecting our Himalayas. If this continues, mountain climbing will change into just rock climbing in some years. We have to make whole world know about these issues via Copenhagen conference” She said.

Another renowned Nepali climber Dawa Steven Sherpa expressed his confidence that at least a 1,000 people could be easily be mobilized for the Copenhagen march.

Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation Deepak Bohara questioned. “When we talk about the impact of global warming in the Arctic or on the island nations, why aren´t the Himalayas not mentioned?” “The Himalayas are melting and we can´t let the world remain a silent spectator,” Bohara said.

Minister Bohara informed about the government’s plan to invite former US President Bill Clinton and former US vice-president and leading ecological activist, Al Gore, and some other famous celebrities to attend the march as a sign of cohesion. He also said that Non-Resident Nepalese community in Europe will also be mobilized for the event.

Claudia W Sadoff, the World Bank representative said that the World Bank will support the government in its environmental awareness plan. She said “It is very exciting that Nepal is taking a lead role in raising awareness on the impact of climate change in the Himalayas and the World Bank will support it.

The Union of Asian Alpine Association (UAAA) has also committed to support the event.

It took more than 15 days for Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary to get victory upon the world’s highest peak for the first time, but their entire Everest expedition was more than 3 months long. Everest expedition was considered very hard and exigent trip some years ago. But, Everest mission can be achieved only in about 8 hours now and is much more easily nowadays. Mountaineers can walk easily via normal boots almost up to Kalapathar (6,000 m) these days while some years before “Crampons” were a must to climb up to Kalapathar also.

“Everest expedition has become much easier trip now,” says Pemba Dorje Sherpa, a 10 times Everest summitter.

“This drastic change is due to effect of climate change. We can see the rocks clearly up to the height of 8,000 meters of Mt. Everest. Effect of climate change and global warming has been so vigorously seen in the Everest region that there are many small and big lakes formed by rapid melting process of ice where some years before mountaineers had to melt ice for water.” Pemba says

“The government is not paying any attention towards the effect of climate change in the Himalayas of Nepal. Government is just concerned about the taxes and not about the condition of locals. This change in Himalayan region is going to bring many problems along with icy-flood making the life of locals quite unsafe,” Pemba said anxiously.

Additionally, world record holder as 19 times Mt. Everest summitter, Apa Sherpa has claimed that he has found water in about the height of 8,000 m in Mt. Everest.

Pemba Dorje further says, “Although the change on the mountain was only seen notably after 2006, the process had already started from 2004.” He also claimed that he has shot the video of environment change occurring in the Himalaya and Himalayan regions. He further says that government must ban expeditions to Himalayas of Nepal for 1 or 2 years to acquire attention of the whole world in this matter.

Another prominent expeditor and mountain conservation ambassador, Dawa Steven Sherpa has also warned the government about this environment change and requested the government to be aware from it and take the appropriate step considering the condition of the locals of Himalaya.

Pemba Dorje Sherpa is also scheduled to meet President of USA, Barack Obama on November 7, 2009 and affirmed that he will explain almost all things about the effect of climate change in Himalayan region. Also, he will ask for a help on behalf of locals of Himalayan region with the president of USA. He is also planning to give a stone of Everest Base Camp as a souvenir to Obama while the meeting.

Pemba’s meeting with Barak Obama is considered as a part of a cooperative awareness program ‘350’ being organized by Worldwide Youth Group against climate change. ‘350’ is the highest and safest numerical quantity of Co2 (Carbondioxide). Besides, the main aim of this ‘350’ awareness program is to give pressure to developed countries to cut down their Co2 production. Scientists warn the world that the Co2 level in the atmosphere has reached 390 ppm, and it is urgent to minimize it down immediately to at least 350 ppm which is the highest safe margin.

To draw attention of the world community towards the increment of Co2 level and its effects, 152 countries are organizing 2200 grand programs –“From Taj Mahal to Great Barrier Riff’.

All night everybody at the basecamp2 could see a beam of light probably from a torch at an altitude of around 7000-8000m, SW face. The unusual thing was that the shaft of light remained still all night. The only rational I could come up with was that somebody must have dropped the torch. But my assumption was unfortunately wrong.

Later I found out that the victims were two professional South Koreans trekkers, Oh Hee-joon, 37, and Lee Hyun-jo, 35 , attempting to conquer Everest. The two were among the best trekkers South Korea had ever produced and were the privileged few who had the skill and courage of concurring most of the mountains above 8000m. Mr. Park, Korean team leader, requested me, including several Sherpas, to embark on a rescue mission. I agreed to lend a hand not only because it’s a part of my job but also I have had an opportunity of meeting them two months earlier.

We headed out in the dark, cold, and mushy weather. The team of 16 left the camp at 2 in the morning. Along the way I found out from some Sherpas that the Korean expedition was suppose to be assisted by some Sherpas. But due to the disagreement between the Korean team and the Sherpas about the timing of the expedition, the Sherpas left the team. The incongruity began when some Sherpas had a bad dream the night before. The superstitious Sherpas persisted upon the idea of postponing the mission for several days but the Korean team was so determined that they made up their minds on setting off on their own, which unfortunately led to their demise.

We reached the tragic site which was at approximately 7500m, at around 7am and found the bodies without any difficulty. Looking at the condition of the corpses, one could figure out fierceness of mother nature. The debris of stone collected by avalanche must have swept them from a high altitude. One corpse had an arm missing and the other’s head was crushed to the extent that it was unrecognizable. We fixed them on stretchers and began descending at 9am. The pace was slower than usual as it is very difficult to bring bodies from the top. The weather was closing in, so we decided on leaving the bodies at the point called Dham, and return the next morning to bring them back. So we returned to basecamp leaving the bodies at the mercy of mother Chongolongma, Mount Everest. They were brought back the following morning with the help of 14 people. A helicopter flew them to Kathmandu for the necessary preparation to send them to their family and friends back in South Korea.

The number of climbers is in the rise every year and so are the accidents. It sends a chill in my spin every time I hear news about such incidents. Not that I am afraid or something but god forbid, if anything should happen to me, being the sole bread earner of my family, they would be the one who would loose everything. After the mission, it kept me thinking a lot about the situation I am in. There is a thin line between being brave and being stupid. So, I have promised myself and my family that I will take every precaution (even Spiritual) before I take on a challenge.