Asia - Page 108

During the past few days, the 7 Summits Club team has seen a lot of the Tibetan culture, traveled across the plateau to reach Shegar, and begun to bond as a group. Of all these things the most interesting questions coming from friends and family are: “What are the hotels like?” and “What do you guys eat every day?” That said this entry is not about Everest but about the food we are eating and what we will plan to eat.

 The staple of the Nepali and Everest Climb diet is the famous Mo Mo. Mo Mos come in a variety of shapes and flavors and resemble what most people will recognize as a Spring Roll. The are Yak MoMos, Chicken MoMos, Mystery Meat MoMos, and, my favorite, Veg MoMos. MoMos can be steamed or fried. Any which way you have them, MoMos are great and have an even better name.

 The standard Everest breakfast has many variants (the Russians love to use this word), but there some standard building blocks. The building blocks are chapatti / pancakes, eggs, some form of meat, and bread. Sometimes there is porridge. The variety of egg styles changes every day. Sometimes they are fried, sometimes they are scrambled, sometimes they are boiled.

 Dinner is also always very good. Fresh meat and vegetables are served every day. Sometimes we have pizza even. All in all from a food perspective we are well taken care of at the main camps. Above the North Col, we will be eating tea crackers, soup, chocolate, and drinking lots of hot tea and water--- as will most other at the high camps.

 Today the group went to Shegar and walked through the new and old parts of the village. We made our way up to the monastery. After a short visit to the monastery, the team proceeded up to the top of the hill. Everyone was in good form and made the top.

 Now we have free time until dinner at 8 and will begin tomorrow at 8 o’clock on the ride to base camp. The truck is filled with all sorts of goodies for base camp, and the team is anxious to get there.

Best regards from Shegar,

Jamie (photo in the middle)

On behalf of the 7 Summits Club team

April, 8

Early in the morning 16 Sherpas and 3 guides of 7 Summits Club (Cherny, Larin and Hanna) left Kathmandu. In the evening they crossed the border into the City Dzhangmu on the Tibetan side. Afternoon flight Qatar Airways brought the remaining members team - all 16 people. They landed with a delay of 8 hours, committing an additional landing in India.

In the evening we had a "Familiarization briefing”, goes into a festive dinner. Alexander Abramov showed participants a slide show with their nearest future. Then the team members a little drunk, but happy, had gone to rest in the famous Hotel Yak and Yeti.

April, 9

In the morning we all went to the bus tour of Kathmandu, along with the best guide, whose name was Varvara. That evening there was the distribution of team jackets and shirts. Then we moved to the best restaurant in town named "Kaiser" ...

Tomorrow, April 10, according to the plan we purchase of personal equipment and packing goods. April 11, we must fly to Lhasa.

China and Nepal have agreed a solution to a long-running disagreement over the height of Mount Everest.

They agreed that the world's highest mountain - which traverses the border of the two countries - should be recognised as being 8,848m tall.

The Chinese previously argued it should be measured by its rock height. Nepal said it should be measured by its snow height - this is four metres higher.

During talks in Nepal's capital Kathmandu, China accepted that claim.

This means the official overall height of Everest is now designated as 8,848m. Nepal also recognises China's claim that the rock height of Everest is 8,844m.

Correspondents say that while thousands of people have climbed the mountain since the first ascent in 1953 by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, its exact height has been disputed ever since the first measurement was made in 1856.

The broadly-accepted height of 8,848m was first recorded by an Indian survey in 1955. It measured the mountain's snow cap, rather than the rock beneath it.

But geologists say that the estimates of both countries over the height of Mount Everest could be wrong.

They say that the mountain is becoming higher as India is gradually pushed beneath China and Nepal because of shifting continental plates.

In May 1999 an American team used GPS technology to record a height of 8,850m - a figure that is now used by the US National Geographic Society - although it has not been officially accepted by Nepal.

BBC News

On Saturday, 3th of April in Kathmandu a historic event took place - the first commercial climbing competition among Sherpas who work on Everest. Name of competition: "1-st Everest Sherpa wall climbing competition". The idea belongs to the leader of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov and director of Asian Trekking - Dawa Steven Sherpa.

These competitions were designed as a team competition between expeditions. Therefore, the participation fee in the amount of $ 10 per person were paid no Sherpas, but by leaders of expeditions. 11 Sherpas from 7 Summits Club and 11 Sherpas from Asian Trekking and 2 Sherpas from the team of Jamie McGuinness took part in the competitions.

Competitions were held on speed, as pair races without time fixing (elimination system or knock-out system). As a result, 1-st place (as well as 3 and 4) got the Sherpas of the 7 Summits Club, second place went to a Sherpa from Asian Trekking. The winners received prize money provided by the organizers: $ 200 for 1-st place, 100 for second, 50 for 3rd and 50 for 4 th place.

After the competition, all participants ate dalbat and discussed the competition and their results.

Numerous spectators, journalists of the leading Nepali newspapers, legendary climbers were all delighted with this event. President of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tsering offered to make it as an annual event and hold them between all the expeditions, departing on Everest.

Great Sherpa Apa (in green) is going for the 20 th climb the summit of Everest. At this time his mission is to place the ashes of Mt Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary on the summit of the world's tallest mountain

Our friend Ang Tsering came to look at the competition

Alex explaining the rules

The winners hiding unplanned cash

Mingma, our permanent Sirdar and Alex

Jordan Romero of Big Bear, Calif., is already an accomplished climber who has reached the tops of some of the world’s highest peaks. At age 10, Jordan and his parents climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Kosciusko in Australia, and Mount Elbrus in Europe, Outside Magazine reports. The next year, he was the youngest person ever to climb Aconcagua in South America and Denali in North America. Last year, he climbed Indonesia's Carstensz Pyramid, the highest point in Oceania and the so-called "eighth" summit. Now, along with his father Paul Romero and Paul’s partner, Karen Lundgren, Jordan has his sights set on Everest.

Jordan and Paul Romero

Jordan Romero trains daily to prepare for the extreme hardships of climbing the world’s tallest mountain. No longer in school, he follows an independent study program which allows him to focus on his climbing. The family has two hypoxic tents on loan. His mentors, Romero and Lundgren, are pro adventure racers. But Outside points out that Team Romero seems to operate in a world of all-consuming passions. There are no professional guides on the team, a detail that has experts concerned. If Jordan does complete his record-breaking summit, he'll be the only teen to do so without an experienced Everest climber on his team.

 While some point out the importance of Jordan being a role model for active kids, not many Everest climbers support the attempt. Russell Brice is one of Everest's most successful guides. As he told Outside, "I do not see how young people under the age of 18 can gain enough experience about mountaineering or themselves to undertake such a project safely.” Others point out studies on the teenage brain show that it is only 80 percent developed and that to put an emotionally inexperienced child on one of the world’s most dangerous mountains would be irresponsible.

 Jordan isn’t letting the doubters stop his efforts. As he told Outside, "I just focus on the goal I set out when I was 9, which is to climb the Seven Summits. I'm just not giving up. Stopping at nothing. I don't let people's doubts bring me down."

FULL ARTICLE IN THE SITE OF OUTSIDE MAGAIZINE

While the main attention is focused on Annapurna, where women are arguing for the right to be the first on all 14 eightthousanders. Meanwhile, the number of so-called "challenges" in the first place the other giant peak - Makalu. Two teams are planning to make new routes, and the German Luis Stitzinger intends to perform the first ever ski descent from the summit.

41-year-old Stitzinger, in recent years, got a taste for the establishment of outstanding records. He has already made descents on three eight-thousanders, set speed records on the Polish route on Aconcagua, etc. .. His climbing partner is his girtl-friend Alix von Melle, as well a guide, as well an extreme skier. However, on Makalu Luis will skiing alone, too severe would be descent.

Route for ski descent

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From ExplorersWeb

Americans Chris Warner and Marty Schmidt plan to make waves on a lonelier 8000er: Makalu.

“Marty Schmidt and I are headed to the south side of Makalu, leaving this coming week,” Chris Warner wrote in an email to ExplorersWeb yesterday. “We are hoping to climb a new route to the summit of Makalu SE (7803 meters) and then follow the SE Ridge to the (main) summit.”

Route details

“Our planned route lies between the SW Ridge (opened by Czechs in 1976) and the SE Ridge (Japanese climb in 1970),” expedition website SharedSummits reported. “The route will ascend snow gullies and rock bands, up the 7000 foot face to Makalu SE (7803 meters). Here it joins with the Czech and Japanese routes along the SE ridge, knife-edged and gendarme guarded all the way until the summit.”

“At 8300 meters, a 100 meter rock band blocks the route, making for an extremely technical summit day,” SharedSummits added. The climbers expect to find snow slopes to 60 degrees, ice to 85 degrees and rock sections to 5.7.

Himalaya veterans

Both climbers are highly experienced mountaineers: In addition to new routes on Shivling and winter Ama Dablam, expedition leader Chris Warner has been on 13 expeditions to 8000ers, reaching the summit of Everest (guiding three times), K2, Lhotse, Shisha Pangma (solo south side) and Cho Oyu, plus attempts on Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak.

A regular on Denali and Aconcagua; Marty is a seasoned high mountaineering guide and a four-time Cho Oyu summiteer (including a speed ascent and a ski descent), who also topped-out Kangchenjunga and attempted K2 from both sides.

“Marty Schmidt and I are headed to the south side of Makalu, leaving this coming week,” Chris Warner wrote in an email to ExplorersWeb yesterday. “We are hoping to climb a new route to the summit of Makalu SE (7803 meters) and then follow the SE Ridge to the (main) summit.”

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From Everestnews.com

Will Cross

Will Cross departs shortly for Makalu as part of his Giant Mountain Challenge; a quest to climb six of the highest peaks in the world. All are located in the Himalaya and all are above 8000m. The purpose of this challenge is to demonstrate that one can lead an extraordinary life with diabetes, an incurable condition and a global pandemic. So far, Cross has topped out on Everest, Lhotse and Cho Oyu. He has had diabetes for over thirty years.

Novo Nordisk continues to be the primary corporate partner of this endeavor. Wild Things is the exclusive pack and gear provider. Dermatone is the exclusive sun care protection. HealthiFeet and Adventure Medical Kits have also stepped forward to support the Giant Mountain Challenge.

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March 27, Ukrainian National expedition "Ukraine-Makalu-2010" started from Kiev. The expedition includes 10 climbers, 2 coaches, a doctor. Expedition leader - Valentin Simonenko. The purpose of the expedition - climbing Makalu (8463 m), the fifth summit of the world, by a new route along the South-West Face. This expedition is dedicated to the memory of the famous Ukrainian climber Vladislav Terzyul, who climbed all the Eight-thousanders. He died on the descent is from Makalu, the latest in his list of 14.

The team includes athletes from different regions of the country:

1. Yuri Kruglov - team captain

2. Sergei Pugachev (Gorlovka)

3. Sergei Boublik (Sumy)

4. Maxim Perevalov (Odessa)

5. Vladimir Klebansky (Odessa)

6. Andrew Kiyko (Kharkiv)

7. Alexander Zakolodny (Kharkiv)

8. Paul Kirichek (Kiev)

9. Dmitry Venslavovsky (Vinnitsa)

10. Igor Storozhenko (Donetsk)

Head Coach - Mstislav Gorbenko, the second coach - Michael Zagirnyak, organizer and leader of the expedition, Valentin Simonenko.

Winter Training on Elbrus

Expedition will last 2 months. Upon arrival in Nepal athletes decide to organizational matters, then 8 days walk will reach the base camp .. May 27 athletes plan to return to Ukraine.

The expedition can be monitored at blogging site leader and team captain Yuri Kruglov: kruglov.biz

From the left: Michael Zagirnyak, Yuri Kruglov, Mstislav Gorbenko

On Sunday leader of the International Everest Expedition Seven Summits Club Alexander Abramov flew to Nepal. Guides and climbers arrive later in early April, and while President of our Club will hold the necessary organizational and protocol events that precede the expedition. This year we return to Tibet, which poses the usual problems: obtaining permits, providing transportation and so on. On Monday Alexander arrived in Delhi. It is a temporary stop, as the Kathmandu airport was closed due to bad weather.

Alex Abramov

After a two-year unavailability by political reasons, our club is back to the beloved Northern side of Everest. Although South Face for the year managed to become well loved. Nevertheless, it is on the Tibetan side of Everest where the formation of our company was taken place. Here we gained experience, filled lumps, learned and developed our own standards of service. This experience, we consider invaluable to ensure the safe and most reliable climbing the highest mountain in the world. We have a lot to be proud of. In recent years, nearly all members of our team reached the top, our camp (base and intermediate) are among the best on the slopes of Everest, our tents are heated, which significantly reduces risk of disease, we work with a constant group of Sherpas, who are our close friends, and fully understand all our requirements and rules. In our group there are two physician etc…

Expedition leader, president of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov go to the Everest for the tenth time, to his credit three successful ascents. He will lead his seventh expedition to the highest summit of the world. Deputy leader - Nicholai Cherny his first attempt to climb Mount Everest made in 1982. At the top he was twice. In recent years, Nicholai is acting as the senior coach of national Russian expeditions to the highest mountain in the world: Lhotse Middle, Everest North Face, K2 West Face.

Climbers from Poland take part in our expedition, they are mother and son. Their joint ascent may be a record.

List of members

Daniel MIZERA, Poland (1986)

Krzysztof Flawiusz GINALSLI, Poland (1971)

Malgorzata Bozena PIERZ-PEKALA, Poland (1957)

James de Witt WILDE USA (1970)

Zdravko DEJANOVIKJ, Macedonia (1965)

Elena Gorelik, Russia (1960)

Michail Karisalov, Russia, (1973)

Vadim Nadvodnyuk, Russia (1970)

Mikhail Turovsky, Rossiyal (1961)

Andrew Filkov, Russia (1961)

Steven BERRY, UK (1955)

Guides

Alexander Abramov, Russia (1965) - expedition leader

Noel Hanna, Ireland (1964) guide

Maxim Bogatyrev, Russia (1975) guide

Nickolay Cherny (1938) - Deputy head of the expedition

Sergei Larin, Russia (1959) guide-doctor

Igor Pokhvalin, Ukraine (1957) guide-doctor

Group with permits to the North Col (7000 meters) within the framework of preparations for the ascent to the summit in 2011

Andrew Luss, Russia (1960)

Alexander Perepelkin, Russia (1965)

Svetlana Slavnaya, Russia (1971)

Sergei Dudko, Russia (1964)

Dmitry Krasnov, Russia (1967)

From the farewell party:

Alex Abramov

Nikolai Cherny

Max Bogatyrev (left)

 A film retelling mountaineer Reinhold Messner's legendary ascent of Nanga Parbat, in which his younger brother was killed, has reignited a bitter mountaineering row and prompted fellow climbers to attack as "false" the version of events being portrayed on the screen.

 A group of climbers who accompanied Messner, now 65, and his brother Günther on the 1970 expedition have criticised the makers of Nanga Parbat for telling only one side of the story – and have threatened legal action.

 The film, by the director Josef Vilsmaier, is being advertised under the slogan "two brothers, one mountain, their fate" and promises to reconstruct the events when Günther disappeared after apparently following Reinhold down Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, the ninth highest mountain in the world and one of the most treacherous to climb. From the start the film, much of which was shot on location, makes clear that it is telling the story "from the point of view of Reinhold Messner".

While Messner has always said that Günther, then 23, was buried by an avalanche, others on the trip claim that the older brother abandoned his altitude-sick sibling so that he could tackle alone the uncharted western side, the Diamir face.

 The discovery of Günther's remains on the Diamir face in 2005 gave support to his brother's version of events, but did little to quell tensions between expedition members.

Official trailer

 One, Gerhard Baur, said the film was biased and regretted that he and others on the expedition had not been consulted.

 "It is a constructed story, and is not the truth about Nanga Parbat … it is presented as if it were a documentary when it doesn't reflect the facts," he told the German magazine Spiegel.

 "The film repeats Messner's claim that … out of pure necessity he decided to descend via the Diamir face and that Günther was buried by an avalanche … I still don't accept this version of events … I was present three times when Messner spoke with great enthusiasm about his desire to tackle the Diamir face, saying that it would be the next leap in the world of alpinism."

 Baur said he felt "wounded" by the fact that the rest of the team stands accused of failing to offer their help to the younger brother. "It hurts a lot that those from the team who are no longer with us haven't got the chance to defend themselves."

 The expedition leader Karl Maria Herrligkoffer's son accused Messner of insulting his father's memory and said he was considering taking legal action.

 "I don't recognise my father as he's been portrayed in the film, and because he's dead he cannot defend himself," said Klaus Herrligkoffer, criticising the depiction of him as a tyrannical leader who failed to help the Messner brothers.

 Max von Kienlin, a fellow climber and former Messner friend, said: "The film is a falsification, adding things that didn't happen, and leaving out what did happen."

 Messner told German climbing magazine Klettern the film was intended to "trigger strong emotions in the viewers".

He said: "I personally didn't need to make the film, but it was important for my family. We're not trying to make a story about heroism, rather I wanted to ask critical questions of myself of what happened on Nanga Parbat."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/19/nanga-parbat-film-controversy

It has been a very busy few months for me and my family. In a recent development on the dispute of Nepal Mountaineering Association, the Government of Nepal has posted me once again as the President of NMA until such time that another election can be held and the position passed on. The Ministers' Cabinet of the Government of Nepal held a special meeting at Kala Patthar Plateau (5,542 m) on December 4th near Mt. Everest Base Camp, to raise awareness about the impact of Climate Change on Nepal. Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and 23 other ministers attended the meeting, where a 10 point ‘Declaration’ was released which calls for concerted actions to minimize adverse effects of climate change in the Himalayan region

The meeting held at such a high altitude was substantial in drawing attention to the dangers of climate change and global warming on the Himalayas, days before UN negotiations on climate change in Copenhagen. This meeting gained worldwide media coverage and it showed the commitment of the Nepalese Government towards the burning issues of Climate Change and the mountain environment.

Following this, Summiteers Summit to Save the Himalayas was organized by the Government of Nepal in Copenhagen to mark the International Mountain Day on December 11, 2009. Led by honorable Minister for Forestry and Soil conservation, Mr. Deepak Bohora, this rally was an accompanying event in the 15th session of UNFCCC conference. The objective of this program was to draw attention of international community towards the Himalayas and the impacts of Climate Change on the Himalayas so that the important role of the Himalaya mountain region in regulating global climate regime can be well recognized by all.
Government ministers and mountaineers from Nepal in Copenhagen (image: Hank Hwang, Chinese Taipei Mountaineering Association)

This event was a humble request to the world community to pay greater attention to the challenges of climate change in the mountains and to value their unique contribution to the global ecology. Also please visit :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/dec/10/copenhagen-sherpa-himalayas

On behalf of the Government of Nepal, as President of Nepal Mountaineering Association and Union of Asian Alpine Association, I had the great pleasure to co-ordinate the gathering of International Mountaineers from all over the world in Copenhagen for this event. A large number of people (estimated between 900-1200 by the Copenhagen police), including 35 renowned Nepalese Mt.Everest summiteers, many international Mt.Everest and 8,000 m peaks summiteers, celebrities of International repute, Nepalese living abroad and supporters from all over the world with a concern for global climate change gathered and marched together in the streets of Copenhagen to highlight the challenges faced by the Himalaya in the context of global warming.

The event also included other activities such as the “Himalaya- Changing Landscapes” photo exhibition; a cultural program by a Sherpa cultural group and a Danish band; speeches by mountaineering leaders and icons and the issue declaration to Save the Himalayas. Nepal Mountaineering Association along with several organizations such as Nepal’s National Trust for Nature Conservation, ICIMOD, WWF, Nepal Tourism Board, the World Bank, Danish Embassy, Union of Asian Alpine Association, ESA, and NRN joined hands with the government to launch this special event.

I thank all the participants for their concern and support towards saving the Himalayas and the mountain environment.

Just ahead of the Climate Change talks in Copenhagen, my son Dawa Steven along with renowned mountaineer Apa Sherpa, 19th times Mt.Everest Summiteers went on a ‘European Expedition.” On expedition they visited 10 major European cities. They attended various events and exhibitions, participated in many talks, gave lectures and presentations, met high- profile politicians and celebrities, and spoke to the media delivering the message from Himalayan communities who are on the front line to face the impacts of climate change. The ‘European Expedition’ was part of the Climate for Life campaign of WWF and directed to raise the profile of the Himalayas in the global climate debate. Dawa Steven and Apa are both Ambassadors for the Climate for Life campaign.

Starting from Prague, Dawa Steven and Apa passed through Brno, Bratislava, London, Viterbo, Gland, Chamonix, Vienna, Brussels, Paris and finally to Copenhagen. In London, Dawa Steven spoke to Members of Parliament at Westminster. In Gland (Switzerland), Dawa and Apa met Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International and were awarded “Leaders of a Living Planet” the Highest award for conservation given by WWF. Dawa Steven also informed the Austrian President about Nepal’s problems in the face of Climate Change and handed over the summit rocks to the President. Similarly in Brussels (Belgium), Dawa Steven spoke at a Climate Change rally to 13,000 people and participated in round table talks at the European Parliament where members of Parliament, South Asian Nation Ambassadors and officials of the European Commission were present. In Paris, they handed over the Prime Minister’s Letter to the Chief of Protocol of the President’s Office. Also please visit:
http://www.climate4life.org

Looking forward to an exciting New Year, we also have many programs planned.

Mt. Dhaulagiri Golden Jubilee will be celebrated on 28 May 2010 and on the same day Save the Himalaya Conference will be held. On 29 May 2010, various programs will be organized to celebrate International Everest Day.

Conforming to the success of Imja Tsho Action Event 2009, Dawa Steven Sherpa and his iDEAS team will organize Imja Tsho Action Event 2010 this year also on 10 June 2010. The run titled Beat the GLOF Action Run will start from Imja Lake (5010 m) and end at Khumjung Village covering a total distance of about 35 kilometers. Following the Action Run on 11 June 2010 will be Save the Himalaya – Khumbu Festival at Khumjung Village to focus on the mountain communities, the mountain environment and the impacts on them due to climate change. Also please visit www.theuiaa.org/act_mountain_protection.html

Eco Everest Expedition 2010 will take place this year with a special program. This year Dawa Steven and his Eco Everest Expedition team has planned to collect and bring down garbage from the Mountain, including at altitudes as high as 8000 m and above. The plan is to create a team of 10 Sherpas to clean up garbage and debris from such high altitudes. This year’s expedition targets to bring down 1000 kgs of debris from high altitude (above Camp 2) and 6000 kgs of debris from Camp 2 and below.

I once again hope to receive your support and encouragement for our efforts in the New Year.

Best Wishes,

Ang Tshering Sherpa

Founder Chairman
www.asian-trekking.com

Happy International Mountain Day!

Save the Himalayas

The program will be organized as an accompanying event of the fifteenth conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to celebrate the International Mountain Day on December 11, 2009. Mountaineering icons, marching in summit gears on the streets of Copenhagen, will be joined by many mountain lovers in issuing a declaration to save the Himalayas from the impacts of climate change.

 After holding a historic cabinet meeting at a Mount Everest base camp last week, Nepal is all set to organize a march by Everest summiteers at Copenhagen on December 11.

 The hour-long march comprising mountaineers who have scaled the world’s tallest peak will coincide with International Mountain Day and highlight the threat posed to Himalayas by climate change.

 “The march to be held on the sidelines of the Copenhagen meet will have mountaineers marching in full mountaineering gear to attract global attention to the issue,” said Deepak Bohara, Nepal’s minister for forest and soil conservation.

 On Monday, a 57-member Nepalese delegation led by Bohara left for Copenhagen. Several other ministers including Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala will leave soon to take part in the march.

 The Nepalese team which comprises of 32 Mt Everest summiteers includes Apa Sherpa, who has climbed the peak a record 19 times, Min Bahadur Sherchan (77), the oldest climber and Nimduma Sherpa, the youngest woman summiteers.

 Several Mt Everest summiteers from across the globe including Austrian Peter Habbler, who climbed the peak without oxygen cyclinder, Canadian Byron Smiths and the Mayor of Prague Pavel Bem are also expected to take part in the march.

http://www.savehimalayas.org/index.php

DECLARATION 

The Summiteers’ Summit to Save the Himalayas Copenhagen, 11 December 2009

 The majestic Himalayas, whose enthralling beauty have inspired awe and religious devotion in people around the world for millennia, continue to challenge the human spirit and contribute to the human experience. The Himalayas are the ‘water towers’ of Asia, feeding its largest rivers and nourishing hundreds of millions of people downstream. The Himalayas play an important role in global atmospheric circulation and are a sanctuary for unique biodiversity. The lofty peaks and mighty rivers have inspired civilizations and supported a mosaic of cultural diversity. The Himalayas, in essence, are a global treasure.

 But the perils of climate change are threatening this treasure. Temperatures are rising rapidly at higher altitudes – several times higher than the global average. Glaciers are melting – changing landscapes and creating dangerous glacial lakes held back only by natural dams of rubble and ice. The ensuing changes threaten unique ecosystems and the lives of millions of people living in the mountains and downstream who eke out their livelihoods from diverse mountain resources. The menace of climate change on the Himalayas will manifest far and wide in the form of drought, flood and sea level rise. As the seas rise, there is no refuge from climate change even at the highest altitudes.

 We, the undersigned, confirm the vital importance of the Himalayas and recognize the risks posed by climate change; we call upon the world community:

 • To focus attention to the challenges of climate change in the Himalayas and downstream.

• To value their unique contribution to human adventure, global ecology, and regional river systems;

• To safeguard Himalayan ecosystems which provide essential services to millions of people living in the mountains and on the plains.

• To enable mountain peoples to meet the unfolding challenges of climate change.

• To save the Himalayas for the current generation and for generations to come.

The highest ever Cabinet meeting

After passing initial health check-up in Syangboche, twenty-four Cabinet ministers, including Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, have reached Kalapatthar plateau near Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 17,192 feet (5,242 meters) at 9:20 a.m on Friday morning to hold the historic Cabinet meeting set in the backdrop of the majestic Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, the world's tallest mountain.

 The Cabinet meeting will be held for around 30 minutes to draw global attention to the threat of climate change in the Himalayas. It is set to declare Banke National Park as new national park and Api-Nampa and Gauri-Shankar as conservation areas.

 A rescue team led by Usha Gurung along with six doctors and a team of mountaineers are accompanying the ministerial team for this historic event.

 The government will make public the decision of the Cabinet at a press meet after arriving in Syangboche (3,780 m) later.

 Speaking to media-persons before the ministerial team was air-lifted to Kalapathhar, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Dipak Bohora said that the Government of Nepal is holding the Cabinet meeting to draw the attention of the world to the threats of climate change in the Himalayas and the people living in the region.

 The Cabinet is set to endorse the agenda prepared for the UN climate change summit to be held in Copenhagen.

 State-owned Nepal Television is broadcasting the special event live from Kalapatthar.

 Twenty four Cabinet ministers, including PM Nepal, had reached Lukla Airport in Solukhumbu district on Thursday to take part in the historic meeting. However, four ministers missed the meeting.

A large number of national and foreign journalists, health and technical teams had reached Syangboche on Thursday to cover the rare media event.

 The high-altitude Cabinet meeting has attracted international attention, especially as it comes on the eve of the Copenhagen summit. nepalnews.com