KATHMANDU, May: "Hello! Hello!... ladies and gentlemen, all the people of Nepal," spoke out Sir Edmund Hillary during his first public address, ever since his arrival in the capital. He went on: "We're the great lovers of the Himalayas and Himalayan people." And the public obliged, giving him a big cheer in response. Hillary, who along with Tenzing Norway conquered the 8,850m Mt Everest on May 29, 1953, was felicitated amid a special ceremony at Basantapur Durbar Square today marking the 50th Anniversary of the first ascent.

On the occasion, Shiva Bhakta Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, presented Hillary with a shawl and letters of felicitation on behalf of the citizens of Kathmandu. "Today has been a fantastic celebration," said the 83-year-old New Zealander. "This is a great honour for those who have climbed Mt Everest. Thanks for your warm hospitality and generosity. For me it's a double blessing to have two of the most celebrated Everest summiteers beside me," he said, pointing towards Junko Tabei and Reinhold Messner. Tabei, the first woman summiteer; Messner, the first climber to scale Everest without bottled oxygen; Jamling Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the son Tenzing Norgay; Tashi Tenzing, the grandson of Tenzing Norgay and Gyalzen Sherpa, one of five Sherpas that accompanied the first successful Everest expedition, were also felicitated on the occasion.

Earlier, a procession was brought out from Tundikhel, with Hillary, his wife June and Gyalzen Sherpa leading the parade of specially decorated horse-drawn carriages, to the accompaniment of Dhime baja, a tradition musical troupe and the Royal Nepal Army band. Tabei, Jamling Tenzing Norgay and Tashi Tenzing followed them on the second carriage. Messner and Mrs Messner followed thereafter on the third carriage, while joyous school children, waving placards, cheered them all along the route.

Eighty-five-year-old Gyalzen Sherpa was overwhelmed with the felicitation he received. "It's a great pleasure for me to be a part of such a big occasion," he said, recalling the expedition that he accompanied half-a-century ago. "It was too tough in those days," said the native of Namche, who arrived in the capital after a span of nine years. "I reached upto the South Col, carrying supplies to the team but I wasn't given an opportunity. But I feel glad for my friends who reached the summit."

Some 400 Everesteers are expected in the biggest get-together of mountaineers in the capital. Yugene Berger, one of 200 foreign summiteers, arrived today for the Golden Jubilee celebrations. According to Shree Ram Lamichhane, Honorary Consular of Luxembourg, Berger, who is also the Minister for Environment, reached the summit in 1992.

OTHER NEWS

• Legendary mountaineering figures felicitated: Everest Foundation honoured legendary mountaineering figures including the first Everest summiteer Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa with the Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Award. Pasang Lhamu was the first Nepali woman to reach the world's tallest peak. The honours were presented to their representatives by the chief guest of today's function Lokendra Bahadur Chand. The honours were presented to Edmund's son Peter Hillary, Tenzing's son Jamling Tenzing and Lhamu's brother Ang Gelu Sherpa.
  
  
• Hillary conferred with Nepali citizenship: His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev today conferred honorary Nepali citizenship to legendary mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, for the first ascent of Mt Everest with his fellow companion Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in May 29, 1953, and his contributions to the Nepali society.
  
  
• Summiteers answer to why they dare to try Everest: Call it passion; call it enthusiasm but there is a mysticism that fascinates people to scale high mountains like Mount Everest. Although Everest poses a great physical challenge, summiteers agree that "only 50 per cent is physical the other half is mental, psychological". However, each and every person has his or her own approach to this huge natural creations. The unknown that mountains represent fascinates first woman summiteer, Junko Tabei. "To know, what I don't know is my stimulation," she expressed. The quietness and freedom she can find up there with nature, where no car ever reached, is her motivation to continue climbing, although she is now 63. "In communion with nature, my soul is healing." Reinhold Messner, who has summitted every peak above 8000 metres, described his motivation as "a vision, a strong idea I am intense about, for many months. To go into the unknown, inventing one's own challenges, that is what I call mountaineering and what attracts me" However he said "But the final answer I don't want to answer and I am unable to give, because I don't know". Peter Habeler just points to his chest and says "It is something in here".
  
  
• Sir Hillary does it again at gala dinner!: Fifty years later, Sir Edmund Hillary did it again. Eighty-three-year-old Sir Hillary got up from his chair, gently walked up the specially designed podium and hoisted a flag atop a shining Mount Everest-shaped cake at a glittering ceremony here today evening.
  
  
• French summiteer's frost-bite treatment successful: French Everest summiteer, Eric Loizeau, who was rescued from the base camp for the treatment of his frostbitten fingers, has been able to recover without any of his fingers being amputated. The recovery is not only indicative of his good luck but also of improved methods of frostbite treatment.
  
  
• Chopper crash at base camp mars Everest celebrations; 2 killed: Two were killed and seven others injured when a Russian MI-17 helicopter of the Simrik Air crashed near Everest Base Camp on 28th May morning.
  
  
• Hillary's friends help improve Sherpas' lifestyle: When Hillary and his magnificent contributions to the welfare of Sherpas is amply highlighted in the media, very few people know about his friends who made it possible for the Everest hero. Zeke O' Connor is one among them. Connor, 77, is working in close coordination with Hillary for the past 30 years and is providing supports in health sector since then. He has been looking after the Himalayan Trust-Nepal, which is operating two hospitals and 27 schools in Solukhumbu.
  
  
• Summiteers suggest for permit regulations to climb Mt Everest: Several Everest summiteers have expressed their concern over the deteriorating environment and declining charms of the adventure, due to a rush in climbing the world's highest peak. While some say licensing system should be revised, others suggest restriction should be imposed on unqualified climbers.
  
  
• Record-breaking on Everest thick and fast: Just three days after the fastest climbing record of the 8848-metre high Mt. Everest, Lakpa Gelu Sherpa, 36, from Jubing village of Solukhumbu district, today achieved the remarkable feat by breaking the earlier record. Another record was set by sirdar Appa Sherpa, 42, from Namche village of Solukhumbu district, with 13th ascent. According to Mountaineering Section of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Gelu within 10 hours and 46 minutes, breaking the 3-day-old record of 12 hours and 45 minutes set by Sherpa Pemba Dorjee, 25.
  
  
• Climbers left in the lurch: A majority of the liaison officers appointed as contact persons for the climbers have fled the scene even before the climbers returned to the Base Camp. Their absence is causing difficulties in providing information on the climbers and other support necessary to them in the high altitude.
  
  
• 'Youngest atop Everest': Ming Kipa Sherpa, 15, sister of Lhakpa Sherpa, 30, who became the first woman in the world to scale Everest three times, consecutively, became the youngest ever to summit Everest.

By Hari Shrestha, Resident Representative in Kathmandu