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13 February 2009, 08:26. Everest, all programs »

KATHMANDU, Feb 12: A Japanese climber who scaled Mount Everest last year at the age of 75 said Thursday he has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest person to reach the world´s highest peak, AFP reported from Tokyo Thursday.

Miura & Son Co


Yuichiro Miura, who conquered Mount Everest despite having undergone two heart operations, had earlier congratulated Nepal´s Min Bahadur Sherchan, who was said to be 77 and reached the summit just two days before Miura.

But Miura´s office showed a certificate from Guinness World Records, which gave him the title as the Nepalese climber failed to submit documents to prove his record. A Guinness spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

"Honestly, I´m happy to be recognized as the Guinness record holder, even though I didn´t climb the mountain to get the record," Miura, now 76, said in a statement.

"The record is something which will be broken in the future," he continued.

A veteran climber, Miura was the first person to ski down Everest´s South Col in 1970, a feat immortalized in an Oscar-winning documentary.

"Humanity always takes up the challenge to explore alien territory and I myself would like to continue striving to reach a new goal, no matter how old I get," Miura said.

Miura set an earlier record as the world´s oldest conqueror in 2003 when he stood on the 8,848-meter (29,028-feet) peak at the age of 70.

But afterward he suffered an irregular heartbeat and other problems that forced him to undergo two heart operations.

In 2007, his earlier record was broken by another Japanese man -- Katsusuke Yanagisawa, who was 71 years and two months at the time.

They were friendly during climb


THIRA L BHUSAL
KATHMANDU, Feb 13: Min Bahadur Sherchan, who set the record of being the oldest person to scale the Mount Everest last year, was taken by surprise on Thursday when he heard that Guinness World Records Book recognized a Japanese national as the oldest person to reach the world´s highest peak instead.

Sherchan had conquered Mt Everest on May 25 last year when he was just a few days away from celebrating his 77th birthday.

Guinness Book recognizes Japanese over Nepali

But, the French news agency, AFP, reported on Thursday that Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura, who conquered Mount Everest last year at the age of 75, has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the oldest person to climb the highest peak.

Miura had earlier congratulated Sherchan for his achievement, the agency said.

"I handed over all the necessary documents to the concerned authorities under the Ministry of Tourism to register it to the Guinness Books and I was told that the documents were received over there on time," Sherchan told myrepublica.com.

He said that he was surprised to listen about the new development despite that the country´s president, prime minister, the ministry of tourism and all the concerned authorities in the country honored him, besides providing him with certificates.

"I will obviously challenge it. But, this is the government and all the concerned authorities to do the needful to register my record," he added.

Pemba Dorje Sherpa, who set the record of being the fastest person to climb the Everest, was the team leader when Sherchan scaled the peak.

Sherpa said all it happened due to "too slow work nature" of the government of Nepal.

"I set my fastest record in 2004. But, it was registered in the Guinness Book this year only, that too only after I found that government initiatives are too slow and I took the initiatives on my own," he said.

Sherpa sent his documents through one of his friends, who visited the United Kingdom while Sherchan´s documents were sent through postal service, according to him.

Min Bahadur Sherchan did not expect it


Sherpa said government had forwarded Sherchan´s documents but Sherchan´s name could not be featured on the world record book as the government process was too slow.