Sikkimese mountaineer aces Everest amid pandemic: Manita Pradhan, is the third woman from Sikkim to conquer Everest

Manita is part of a 12-member Indian expedition team comprising six women and men that had embarked on the journey to summit four Himalayan peaks

Manita Pradhan.: File picture

Rajeev Ravidas   |   TT  |  Siliguri   |   02.06.21 : Sikkimese mountaineer Manita Pradhan, 36, scaled the world’s highest peak in the early hours of Tuesday, her feat sending the mountaineering fraternity on cloud nine amid the pandemic.

Manita is the third woman from Sikkim to conquer Everest. Before her, Phul Maya Tamang and Yangde Sherpa were the first two women from the Himalayan state to do so in 2008.

However, Manita’s feat is special. It has come at a time of the raging global pandemic, when the contagion had also reached the base camp of Everest. There were reports that between 15 and 20 mountaineers had tested positive for Covid-19 from late April to early May.

Manita, who hails from Soreng in West Sikkim, is part of a 12-member Indian expedition team comprising six women and men that had embarked on the journey to summit four Himalayan peaks of Nuptse (7861 metres), Lhotse (8516m), Pumori (7161m) and Everest (8848m) in Nepal.

Manita’s Everest achievement was confirmed to The Telegraph by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). “I spoke to the liaison officer at the Everest base camp, and he confirmed to me that Namita reached the summit this morning (Tuesday). Other details will be available once the team reaches the base camp,” Santa Bir Lama, the NMA president, said over phone from Kathmandu.

Lama said it usually takes at least two days to return to the base camp from the peak. “At the most they can come down to camp 3 today (Tuesday). The weather is difficult this time because of the snow,” he said.

It was not possible to immediately ascertain who else in the group managed to reach the peak of Everest along with Manita.

In April, she and all other members of the expedition, including another girl from Sikkim, Shanti Rai, had climbed Mount Lhotse.

Kazi Sherpa, a two-time Everester and deputy director of Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Eco-tourism in South Sikkim, said it was a great achievement for Manita and a proud day for Sikkim.

“Her feat will give a fresh boost to mountaineering in the state,” he said.

“She is a very good resource person and has worked with us as a visiting instructor numerous times,” he said.

Hard work apart, Manita can consider herself lucky to summit the Everest now as Nepal extended climbing spring season this year by about a week. The season traditionally ends by May-end, but because of the disruption in climbing activities amid recent weather conditions, Nepal had extended it to June 3 this time. 

(Courtesy & source- https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/sikkimese-mountaineer-aces-everest-amid-pandemic/cid/1817447)