5th International Sagarmatha Day

Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has unveiled two new trekking trails along with route map and DVD marking 5th International Sagarmatha Day amidst a special ceremony at Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on Tuesday.

Minister of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) Post Bahadur Bogati, secretary of MoCTCA and NTB chairperson Ganesh Raj Joshi and officiating CEO of NTB Subash Nirola jointly unveiled the new trails in Taplejung and Lower Manaslu region.

The Taplejung trek which takes 21 days from Kathmandu and 18 days from Tumlingtar of Shankuwasabha passes through Mitlung crossing Lamabsumba Pass located at an altitude of 5,177 meteres.

Likewise, the Lower Mansalu trek takes 10 days from the capital and passes through Manakamana, Khanchok, Laprak and to Gorkha Bazar. The trail has been divided as Gorkha Pilgrimage Trail trek of four days, Cultural trails trek of six days and Rupinala Pass Trekking of 14 days.

At the ceremony, Dr. Harka Gurung Award was conferred to Dr. Hem Sagar Baral and Dr. Shastra Dutta Pant for making significant contribution on the development of eco-tourism, mountain tourism and nature conservation. Similarly, mountaineer Chhuldim Sherpa was awarded Sagarmatha Pasang Lamhu Award. TAAN every year awards a woman contributing toward adventure tourism in this category.

Minister Bogati focused on the need to promote other peaks of the country along with the Everest. “We are not being able to promote our peaks because of which attraction of tourist is limited to only to a few peaks,” he said.

Minister Bogati also handed over the medal to the Everest Summiteers at the event.

Speaking at the ceremony Everest sumitter Daba Steven Sherpa suggested the government to review its policy on means of communication being used at the Everest Base Camp. At present government charges extra amount for the use of radio because of which some of the mountaineers are not using it. “Government should make its use mandatory so that help can be quickly sought whenever needed,” he requested government to come up with better policy so that there will not be traffic congestion at the peak.

MoCCTA along with different tourism related association had organized different activities to mark 5th International Sagarmatha Day. May 29 is celebrated as International Sagarmatha Day to commemorate the first ascent of the world´s highest peak by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953.

source:republica,29 May 2012