Pemba Dorje Sherpa, who set a new record by scaling Mt. Qomolangma in the shortest time, is now preparing to register Nepal in the Guineas book of world records with yet another feat.
Seven-time summitteer Pemba plans to take 77-year old Minbahadur Sherchan from Mustang district of Nepal with him to climb the world's highest mountain.
If Sherchan can make it to the peak, he will become the oldest climber to reach the top of the world, according to report from local newspaper The Kathmandu Post on Saturday.
"I want to break the previous record of the oldest climber by taking 77-year old Sherchan with me," Pemba said.
Sherchan has already climbed mountains up to 6,000 meters high.
Nobody has yet broken the record of Katsusuke Yanagisawa from Japan for being the oldest climber to scale the mountain. Yanagisawa was 71 years old when he reached the top of the world on May 22, 2007.
While voices for inclusiveness are rising, Pemba is also managing to take a group of women, who come from various ethnic groups and geographical regions of Nepal.
The team named, "First Inclusive Women's Sagarmatha Expedition (FIWSE)" includes 35 women from Mahottari, a southern district, to Taplejung, the eastern hilly district of Nepal.
Pujan Acharya, 23, one of the aspiring women climbers in the team, says, "I want to prove that mountaineering is a part of women empowerment."
She said the expedition will also prove that women can do best in the field of mountaineering.
Sailee Basnet, 25, another woman climber in the team, says, "We are much excited and we are sure to achieve success."
Pemba has a dream of taking the team of Nepali women with divergent ethnicities to the top of the world. "I also want to show to the world that Nepali women from any ethnic group are competent enough to climb the mountain," he said, adding, "It will prove to the world that Nepali women are no less competent than foreign ones."
The estimated cost for the expedition is 10.06 million rupees (168.75 thousand U.S. dollars). Fortunately, Pemba and his team have been successful in collecting donation money from various organizations for the expedition. World Food Program (WFP) has donated 2.8 million rupees (45 thousand U.S. dollars) while Nepali government has promised one million rupees.
Similarly, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has promised 640,000 rupees (10,000 dollars) while Non Nepali Resident (NRN) and other organizations have also given him word they will provide economic assistance to the women's team.
"I have collected almost 80 percent money for the expedition," said Pemba.
(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2008)