First 'inclusive' Nepali female team to attempt Mt Everest

A team of Nepali women from different castes and ethnicities is set to make an attempt on Mt Everest, the world’s tallest peak, in early spring.

The ten-member mission called First Inclusive Women Sagarmatha Expedition 2008 will be the first of its kind to climb the 8,848-metre peak with support from two UN agencies.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday announced their support for the FIWSE 2008.

"When they were younger, several of the expedition members received support from WFP feeding programmes and we are proud that they have grown into strong adults ready to take on one of the greatest challenges on earth, to climb Mount Everest," said WFP Country Representative Richard Ragan, expressing hope that their efforts will inspire women across Nepal to also pursue their dreams.

Members of the expedition hope that their efforts will not only open up mountaineering as both a sport and a career for women in Nepal, but will also encourage women, no matter what community they are from, to work together to pursue their goals, a joint press statement issued by WFP and UNDP said.

The women climbers also hope to play a significant role in promoting education, empowering women and educating people about the affects of climate change in Nepal after completing the expedition.

"We expect this team to bring back updated information of the major changes which have been observed in the past years, from the bottom to the top of the Sagarmatha. We also hope that their observations will provide additional ideas on how to ecologically better manage and preserve this unique tourist and world heritage site," stated UNDP Country Representative Anne-Isabelle
Degryse-Blateau.

WFP and UNDP have together raised nearly one-quarter of the cost for the expedition. The women's group, from the First Inclusive Women Sagarmatha Expedition 2008, is currently fundraising and expects to set out for the Everest mission in early spring.

Pemba Dorje Sherpa, who holds the Mt. Everest Speed Ascent World Record of 8 hours 10 minutes and is also a former WFP beneficiary, and Da Gombu Sherpa, a mountaineering expert, will be providing Technical support for the expedition. nepalnews.com mk Feb 14 08