Proud to be a Sikkimese: Sikkim Travel, Culture & Local Heritage

A Special Cover featuring the Legend –Tenzing Norgay was released from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling today commemorating the 105th Birth Anniversary of the Legend. The cover was released at a function organized by the HMI celebrating the 105th Birth Anniversary of Tenzing Norgay . After conquering the highest mountain peak – Mount Everest in 1953 with Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay was always associated with the HMI, Darjeeling ever since its establishment in the year 1954. He was the first Director of Field Training of the HMI and an advisor till his death. A special cover is a cover (an envelope) that is released for a special person, occasion, monument or place.  It has to be approved by the Postal Department of India. They are released in limited quantities and so they hold philatelic values and are sought by Philatelists and collectors all around. The special cover and the special cancellation for the event were d...

FROM MY COLLECTION Jamling Tenzing Norgay Son of Tenzing Sherpa, the first man to climb Mt. Everest, Jamling Tenzing Norgay also followed his father's foot step when he climbed the world's highest peak in 1996.  The autograph was signed on the cover of 1996 Everest IMAX Filming Expedition. From Wikipedia: Everest is a 70mm American documentary film Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak on Earth located in Himalayan region of Nepal. It was released to IMAX theaters in 1998 about the struggles involved in climbing  The 40-minute film is narrated by Liam Neeson and shot entirely in IMAX format. It includes a vivid description of the training required in order to climb, and the challenges encountered such as avalanches and lack of oxygen. This film had been in production at Everest during the 1996 Everest Disaster, in which a group of mountain climbers were trapped by a blizzard near the summit. This film contains footage of these people, as IMAX crew ...

GANGTOK , June 11: The Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling , today met the members of the successful Everest expedition from Sikkim . The team of 11 mountaineers who recently scaled Mount Everest met the CM today at his official residence in Mintokgang . Mr. Chamling congratulated the whole team and expressed his profound happiness over the successful expedition.  After a 43-year gap , seven mountaineers from the Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute (SGMI) in Sikkim accomplished the glorious feat at 7.26 a.m. IST on May 22 this year. Among them, Phul Maya Tamang and Yangdi Sherpa were women climbers. Nima Wangchuk Sherpa (60) from the same team was the oldest Indian Mt. Everest climber. http://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-6.htm

Eight summiteers, Mr. Gyamtso Tshering Bhutia, Mrs. Phul Maya Tamang , Ms. Yangdi Sherpa , Mr. D.D.Bhuita, Mr. Kunzang Gyatso Bhutia , Mr. Suraj Sing, Mr. Yaduram Sharma, and Mr. Nima Wangchuk Sherpa were felicitated by Governor Mr. Sudarshan Agarwal on Monday at Governor House . After their felicitation, the Governor said the summiteers had done brave work and asked them to be role models for mountain climbers. Team leader Mr. Keshang Tshering said that Mr. D.D. was among the team members. Bhutia was the first summiteer to touch the peak of Mount Everest. He reached the peak at 4.40 am on 22 May. He informed me that the team had set off on 21 May at 7.30 am. http://sikkimreporter.com//otherstories.htm

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. Thre...

Gangtok, November 13 : Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute (SGMI) will lead the first independent expedition to climb Mount Everest (8848m) in spring 2008. Second round selection of the team has already begun from Monday for which team will leave institute for the final selection to be held under alpine condition in North Sikkim. This is the first time in the 43 years old history of the Institute to organize an independent climb while some of the instructors have already scaled the peak with other teams. The final expedition for Everest will be flagged off in the spring season of next year with 15 members and five additional climbing support staff. The team will be led by G.T. Bhutia, the principal of the institute. The team is expected to scale the peak from the North Col ridge of China, which is considered to be a difficult climb.  http://www.haalkhabar.com/

From internet BEIJING - China has begun building a highway to Mount Everest base camp, partly to smooth the way for the carrying of the Olympic torch up to the highest peak in the world, Chinese press reported Tuesday.  The new road will begin at the base of the mountain in China's Tibet region and replace a rough 108-kilometre (67-mile) track that leads to the northern base camp, the Xinhua news agency reported. Construction of the 150-million-yuan (20-million-dollar) highway began on Monday and will take about four months to complete, according to Xinhua. The road is being built to "ease the path of those bearing the Olympic torch," Xinhua said. Organisers of next year's Beijing Olympics have said they intend to include the summit of Mount Everest in the 130-day torch relay leading up to the Games. The relay, which will traverse five continents, will begin in Beijing on March 31 next year, with the attempt to reach the summit of Everest slat...