KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) – A team of 10 Nepalese climbers who became the first to climb the second highest peak in the world during the tough winter season received a hero’s welcome upon returning home in Nepal on Tuesday.
Mountaineers, supporters, friends and family lined up at Kathmandu airport to greet the climbers with garlands and cheers while a police band played the songs. They were then driven around the city in open trucks.
“As a team, we are very proud; we feel very honored. I think we send a very clear message to the world, if we come together nothing is impossible, so everyone is happy here, ”said Nirmal Purja, one of the team members who also holds the record for the fastest climb among the 14 highest peaks in the world. world.
The winter climb marks another achievement for Nepalese climbers who for decades worked as porters and guides for foreign climbers, but are now setting their own records and undertaking expeditions at the highest peaks.
“This expedition has elevated the status of Nepalese climbers to new heights, which is an achievement for all mountaineering and shows that there is nothing we cannot achieve if we try,” said Mingma Sherpa, who organized the expedition.
K2 is the most prominent peak on the Pakistani side of the Himalayan mountain range and is second in height only to Mount Everest. The K2 remained the last peak above 8,000 meters (26,240 feet) in the world that had not yet been climbed in winter.
The Nepalese team ensured that all 10 members reached the summit at the same time.
“All 10 of us work together at the same level. We are all at great risk to our lives. We feel that there must be justice for each member of the team, ”said Purja.