First climbers set foot on top of Everest in 2 years

Nine high-altitude mountain guides reached the top of Mount Everest on Wednesday, the first group to ascent the world’s highest mountain in two years after deadly disasters forced a closure.
The group of nine climbers reached the summit at 5:02 pm, Gyanendra Shrestha, an official at the Department of Tourism, told Post over phone from Everest Base Camp.
The ascent of these  Ice fall Doctors” has opened the door for other climbers to scale the mountain, as it was part of the preparation of the final stretch to the 8,850-metre summit.
Shrestha said around 12 foreign mountaineers are preparing to scale Everest on Thursday. Weather is good so far. If things go as planned, those climbers will be able to reach the summit on Thursday, he said.
As many as 289 climbers are in bid to climb Mount Everest this season. The success rate of reaching the summit stands at 50-60 percent.
Foreign mountaineers will be accompanied by at least 400 Nepali high-altitude guides, hence the world’s tallest mountain is likely to see a footfall of more than 600 individuals this season.
According to Shrestha, Neema Chiri Sherpa, Aang Temba Sherpa, Pasang Tenji Sherpa, Mingma Chiri Sherpa, Gyaljen Dorje Sherpa, Aang Gyaljen Sherpa, Mingma Sherpa, Lakpa Chiri Sherpa and Shere Gyaljen Sherpa reached the top of Mount Everest on Wednesday.
A massive avalanche near Everest Base Camp in April 2014 killed 16 Nepali guides, following which expeditions were called off.
But on May 23, Chinese climber Wang Jing reached the summit of Everest. Her ascent, however, had sparked controversy as she had bypassed the Khumbu Ice fall on a helicopter.
The government had extended the Everest climbing permits until 2019 of those climbers who were forced to abandon the mission in 2014.
That year, 326 mountaineers had received climbing permits.
But again in 2015, avalanches set off by the devastating April 25 quake killed 19 climbers, including high-altitude guides and helpers at the base camp and the Khumbu Ice fall region, forcing authorities to shut down the expedition for a second year in a row.
There were no Everest bids in the spring of 2015.
This time, the government has extended permits to climb Everest for two years until 2017.
Last year, 356 mountaineers received climbing permits.
The government has collected more than Rs 210 million in royalties by issuing Everest permits this season

The government charges $11,000 per foreign climber. Source by Kathmandu post  

Tenboche monastery (khumbu)

                                    Tenboche monastery (khumbu)

          Tengboche monastery is perched on a high ridge across the canyon from khunde. This is the leading Buddhist center in the khumbu and its location is one of the most scenic. Pines azaleas and colorful mountain Rhododendrons surround the attractive gompa ( monastery) which rests amid stunning views of  Everest Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Tengboche itself features a rest house and a number of lodges and camping sites.

       From Tengboche you can continue on to pheriche kala pattar and the hamlet of Gorakshep. From here the site of Everest base camp is easily accessible, as is the summit of kala pattar (5545m) from which much of mt Everest is clearly visible. However you must take time to properly acclimatize as the altitude gains are rapid. 

           

Tenboche monastery (khumbu)

                                    Tenboche monastery (Khumbu)

          Tengboche monastery is perched on a high ridge across the canyon from Khunde. This is the leading Buddhist center in the khumbu and its location is one of the most scenic. Pines azaleas and colorful mountain Rhododendrons surround the attractive gompa ( monastery) which rests amid stunning views of  Everest Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Tengboche itself features a rest house and several lodges and camping sites.

       From Tengboche, you can continue on to Pheriche kala pattar and the hamlet of Gorakshep. From here the site of the Everest base camp is easily accessible, as is the summit of Kala Pattar (5545m) from which much of Mt Everest is clearly visible. However, you must take time to properly acclimatize as the altitude gains are rapid. 

           

Study recommends Rs4,000 monthly pension for farmers

                                      Study recommends Rs4,000 monthly pension for farmers
A study has recommended providing a monthly pension of Rs4,000 to farm workers after they turn 55. The proposed pension plan is part of the government’s effort to give due respect to the agricultural sector which employs 66 percent of the population and accounts for one-third of the economy.  per the study report entitled Farmers Classification and Pension Scheme prepared by Hari Roka, former Maoist lawmaker and political analyst, farm workers will pay an annual premium of Rs5,000 into the pension scheme. The proposed scheme has envisaged separate pension schemes for subsistence and commercial agriculture. Farmers will be classed into four groups on the basis of the size of their landholdings—farm workers, marginal farmers, petty bourgeoisie and large landowners. 

        A pension fund will be created with the government putting up half the money. Farmers will contribute the rest. For marginal farmers, the report has suggested an annual premium of Rs7,000, or 1 percent of their yearly production. When they reach 55 years of age, they will be able to draw a monthly pension of Rs5,000. For the petty bourgeoisie category, the annual premium has been fixed at Rs9,000 or 1 percent of the annual income. Farmers in this category will get a monthly pension of Rs7,000. The annual contribution for farmers with large landholdings has been set at Rs15,000. They will draw a monthly pension of Rs10,000 when they reach 65 years of age. The government should set up an integrated service centre which will collect the premiums and distribute pensions,” Roka said, presenting the report to Minister of Agricultural Development Haribol Gajurel on Tuesday. “The service centre should be run by the farmers themselves as they will know the right beneficiaries. The government should facilitate the centre. The local or provincial government and the federal government should monitor the centre and the pension fund, the report said. 

The report has also suggested that the scheme should be piloted in 10-15 districts in the hills, Tarai and mountain regions by categorizing farmers and households. After six months, the scheme should be extended to another 20 districts. Roka said that the baseline of 55 years would be appropriate for providing pensions in the context of Nepal. The age limit has been set by considering the fact that farmers involved in commercial production live longer compared to hard working farmers. source by Kathmandu post 

  

TAAN participates in Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Manaslu,

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation together with different travel trade associations, including Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), organized series of programs on April 30 as part of the Mt Manaslu and Mt Lhotse Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.The celebrations began with a colorful procession that began from Khullamanch and went through Kantipath, Thamel, Sorakhutte and Lainchour before concluding at the Narayanhiti Palace Museum premises. Army band, dhime troupe and colorful performance of different ethnic groups were the major attractions of the rally. Manaslu and Lhotse summiteers were paraded in open jeeps.TAAN office-bearers, member companies and staffers participated in the rally.

Similarly, Kathmandu Metropolitan City offered civic reception to legendary mountaineer Minoru Higeta -- the only survivor of the first successful expedition to Manaslu. Junko Tabie, the first woman to climb Mt Everest, was also present on the occasion. Likewise, President Bidya Devi Bhandari honored Manaslu and Lhotse summiteers later in the day. The President felicitated Minoru Higeta, Pertemba Sherpa, Billi Berling, Mingma Sherpa, Ted Atkins and Pemba Norbu Sherpa, among others. Sixty years ago, I stood on top of Mt Manaslu," Higeta said, speaking at the program. "My team was fortunate to be blessed by fine weather and strong support from Nepali Sherpas. Minister for Information and Communications Sher Dhan Rai, Swiss Ambassador Urs Harrens and Japanese Ambassador Masashi Ogawa were present at the program. Japanese ambassador Masashi Ogawa said the Japanese expedition's successful ascent of Manaslu gave courage and hope to the Japanese people who were, at the time, demoralized by their defeat in World War II.Later in the day, a conference was also organized on 'Challenges and Opportunities to Promote Mountain Tourism in Manaslu and Lhotse Area'. The conference dwelt on challenges and opportunities in Manaslu and Lhotse area.source by TAAN