Rousing homecoming reception for the Sikkim Everesters 2008

GANGTOK, June 05: The State Tourism Department organised a welcome reception to the Sikkim contingent of Mount Everest Summiteers, who accomplished the glorious feat on May 22.

To celebrate the successful expedition to Mt. Everest by Sikkim mountaineers from SGMI, Gangtok, the department, TAAS, SAATO, and the local public welcomed the summiteers to Rangpo Tourist Centre.

The team of proud Everest climbers reached their hometown today.

After a 43-year gap, seven mountaineers of Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute(SGMI) in Sikkim succeeded in climbing Mount Everest at 7.26 a.m. IST on May 22 this year.

Phul Maya Tamang and Yangdi Sherpa were female climbers. Nima Wangchuk Sherpa (60) from the same team made the record for the oldest Indian Mt. Everest climber.

In total, eleven climbers were selected for the Everest expedition, and ten were successful. Three are from other states: Phul Maya Tamang (37), Yangdi Sherpa (31), Kunzang Gyatso Bhutia (29), Dawa D. Bhutia (35), Suraj Singh (39), Yadhuram Sharma (40), and Nima Wangchuk Sherpa (60) were the other mountaineers who made Sikkim proud.

Padmabhusan Sonam Gyatso was the first Sikkimese who succeeded in climbing Mt. Everest in 1965.

Phul Maya Tamang and Yangdi Sherpa (both recorded as the first women Everest climbers from the North Eastern State of India) shared their experiences of the Everest trip: “We scaled during the nighttime, and at sunrise, we were at the tip of Mt. Everest. It was unbelievable. We felt like we were in the sky. Everything appeared down to us, and we forgot everything.”

They added, “Given a chance, we are ready to scale the highest peak. It is interest and determination in our blood that made us scale, not whether we are male or female.”

Mountaineers started their expedition around 7.15 am IST on May 21 from the South Cole base camp of Mt. Everest, which falls in Nepal, and they succeeded in getting in touch with the top of Mt. Everest at 7.26 am IST on May 22, as informed by GT Bhutia, the team leader. He also added that the secret to their success was hard labor, determination, perfect preparation, and proper planning.

pic: http://www.tistarangit.com/

http://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-6.htm