The Young Everester Meets the Army Chief

The Chief of Army Staff, General V.K. Singh felicitated Arjun Vajpai, a young boy who scaled Mt Everest recently, in New Delhi on June 03, 2010.
PIB Photo no.CNR - 31907
Friday, June 04, 2010 15:29 IST
Army Chief General VK Singh felicitated yesterday the Arjun Vajpai, a young boy from Noida who scaled Mt Everest recently.

Arjun who has an army background, is an alumni of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. On meeting the Army Chief, he expressed a deep desire to join the Indian Army, where fortitude and courage is a norm. His next mission is to join the elite National Defence Academy. Veerendra/Rajendra
The Young Everester Meets the Army Chief

NASA Everest Trek

Back in the Base Camp we first went to the Indian Army tent as one of our trekking guides, Baldev, is good friends of the Indian Army Colonel who is leading an expedition of the Savehs, a wing of the Army. They were very accommodating and happy to talk to us. We sat in their tent for coffee and popcorn. Shortly afterwards we went to Scott Parazynski's location, the IMG (International Mountain Guides) camp. They have 20 climbers and around 40 Sherpas in their expedition, and their camp was very large with many tents. Scott showed us his personal tent as well as the gear he is using during this expedition. Scott mentioned that he has already been up and down through the Ice Fall four times and has reached as high as just above Camp 2 for his acclimatization climbs. He is looking forward to continuing his routines and eventual bid for the summit. We wish him luck.

After vising the IMG Camp, we went to a bakery tent. It was hard to believe, but this tent creates comfort foods such as apple pies, cookies, and cinnamon buns right in the heart of Base Camp. We sat in the tent talking with with Scott some more and enjoyed a few baked goods before we headed back out. The day was getting late and we had a long hike back to Lobuche ahead of us, so unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Scott. I think all of us could have stayed much longer enjoying the impressive views of the Ice Fall and Mt Everest right in front of us.
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NASA Everest Trek Blog

Everest conqueror Edmund Hillary dies

New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary, who along with Nepal's Tenzing Norgay Sherpa became the first to conquer Mount Everest, died in hospital on Friday, 11 January, 2008.

New Zealand flags flew at half mast at Scott Base in Antarctica on Friday, mourning the loss of one of the greatest adventurers of the 20th century.

In Nepal, Sherpa friends lit butter lamps and offered special Buddhist prayers in monasteries for the mountaineer, calling him a great philanthropist and friend of Nepal. Ed's greatest legacy is the assistance he gave to the Sherpa people," said Mr Dingle. "As a result of seeing Nepal and his love of the mountains and the people, he went back and suggested that he could help in some way." Known to the Sherpa people as Burra-sahib – meaning "big in stature, big in heart" – Sir Edmund never forgot the place that gave him, in every sense, his international prominence.

In 2003, Hillary received honorary Nepali citizenship in recognition of his services to the people and the Solukhumbhu region where Mount Everest is located.

Mount Everest was named after Sir George Everest, the surveyor-general of India who was the first to produce detailed maps of the Indian subcontintent including the Himalayas.

Mr Hillary took several photographs of the scenery and of Sherpa Tenzing waving flags representing India, Britain, Nepal, and the United Nations from world's highest mountain top.

In 1960, Hillary – who served as New Zealand High Commissioner to India in Delhi from 1984 to 1989 – established The Himalayan Trust, which helped build three hospitals, 13 health clinics and more than 30 schools.