Kathmandu - A veteran Sherpa mountain guide Wednesday scaled
the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, for a record 17th time,
beating his own record, as 21 other climbers reached the summit, the
Nepalese government confirmed.
The Nepalese Ministry of Tourism said the ascent by Appa Sherpa
created two records on the mountain on Wednesday.
Appa, who is 46 and had come out of retirement, reached the summit
along with six other members of his Super Sherpa Expedition.
His team member and record holder for the fastest climb, Lakpa
Gelu Sherpa, reached the summit for the 13th time.
Lakpa Gelu came into his own after reaching the summit from the
base camp in a record time of just 10 hours 56 minutes and 46 seconds.
The Nepalese government said the two men then unveiled a newly
published book once they reached the summit.
'This event has made both the record holder climbers as the first
book releaser on the top of Everest relating to travelogue
literature, and the book has become the first of its kind to be
released on the top of the world,' a government statement said.
The expedition is part of the climbers' efforts to make a
documentary film highlighting the role of the Sherpas and the
Nepalese people since the historic summit of Sir Edmund Hillary and
Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953.
The Nepalese government also confirmed that two Americans, two
Norwegians and a Swede were among those who climbed the world's
highest mountain Wednesday.
Those reaching the summit included 39-year-old Guillermo Benegas
and 24-year-old Erik from the United States and 48-year-old Norwegian
Eirik Tryti and Bjorn AB Evensen from Mountain Madness Everest
Expedition 2007.
Six other Sherpa guides of the same team also successfully reached
the summit Wednesday morning, the ministry said. The lone Swede atop
Mt Everest has been identified as 38-year-old Johan Earnst of Dream
Everest Expedition 2007.
President of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tshering Sherpa
said the climbers took advantage of a break in weather to push for
the summit early Wednesday from their high altitude camp 4 at 7,950
metres above sea level.
The climbers had been waiting for the weather to clear up for
several days as raging winds along with heavy snow fell on the
Nepalese Himalayas since the beginning of May.
According to the Nepalese government, more than 17 expeditions
were given permission to climb Mt Everest in the Spring climbing
season which lasts until the end of May.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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