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In this latest newsletter from Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, he details the latest efforts on the environmental front, news on climbing fees and provides information on the forthcoming International Sagarmatha (Mt.Everest) Day Celebration and Dhaulagiri Golden Jubilee.

Namaste and warm greetings from Nepal.

I am delighted to inform you that finally the Spring Expedition Season starting soon and I am pleased to share with you many interesting and positive news from Nepal.

Apa Sherpa,World Record Holder for 19 ascents of Mt.Everest and Climbing Leader of Eco Everest Expedition is heading for 20th Summit on Mt.Everest this Spring and Asian Trekking family extends their all support and wishes for the success.

Eco Everest Expedition: Once again this year Asian Trekking is organising the Eco Everest Expedition (2010). Under the leadership of Dawa Steven Sherpa, Apa Sherpa (19 times Everest Summiteer: world record holder) as the Climbing Leader and Nanga Dorje Sherpa as Sirdar. The focus will be on climbing in an eco-sensitive manner, bringing old garbage, and all human waste produced on the mountain down to base camp for proper disposal. The expedition will once again be using the highly successful alternative energy solutions like the parabolic solar cookers and the SteriPENs for water purification. This year Dawa Steven and his Eco Everest Expedition team has planned to focus to collect and bring down previous expedition garbage between the altitudes of 6500 m and above. A team of 10 high altitude Sherpas will be hired to clean up garbage and debris from such high altitudes. Eco Everest Expedition 2009 team had brought down nearly 6000 kilos of previous expedition garbage from Mt. Everest under the Cash for Trash program. This year's Eco Everest Expedition targets to bring down 1000 kgs of debris from high altitude above Camp 2 (6500m) and 6000 kgs of debris from Camp 2 and below.

Beat the GLOF Event and Save the Himalaya Khumbu Festival will be held at Khumjung village on 4 June 2010 instead of 10 - 11 June. The date for this event has been postponed for the convenience of the guests of 3rd International Sagarmatha (Mt.Everest) Day Celebration, which will be held on 29 May 2010, to participate in Beat the GLOF Event and Save the Himalaya Khumbu Festival. The event will be celebrated with various programs which focus on the mountain communities, the mountain environment and the impacts of climate change on them. The event will be supported by Idea,Nepal Tourism Board, Sagarmatha National Park, and many non government organizations.

2nd New International Airport in Nepal: Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation held a ceremony on March 7, 2010 where an agreement was signed between The Government of Nepal, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Land Mark Worldwide Co. Ltd., Korea. The agreement was on the detailed feasibility study of the second international airport at Dhumberwana, Nijgadh; a town situated in Bara District, 84 kilometers south-east from Kathmandu. The feasibility study will have to be completed within 10 months from the date of agreement signed.

Nepal Tourism Year 2011 was officially launched on February 26, 2010 and preparations have already begun which is sure to make way for improvements in Nepal’s Tourism. All the political parties of Nepal including the Unified Maoist Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have signed an agreement committing not to call any bandhs or any such strikes that affect the tourists during the period of Nepal Tourism Year.

Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA),TAAN and EOAN have appealed and suggested to The Government of Nepal to help solve many problems prevailing in the Nepalese mountain tourism. Among the many requests made following are the main ones:

A) Since 16 July 2008, the Government of Nepal waived off royalty of the opened peaks in the Midwestern and Farwestern Nepal for five years (till 16 June 2013) which shows good sign of positive developments in these region. Similarly it was requested to reduce the royalty fee of the peaks which is less crowded specially on the border of Nepal. It has been requested to The Government of Nepal to manage free permit to climb Mt. Cho-yu for five years from Nepal side.

B) The Tourism Council in the Chairmanship of The Right Honourable Prime Minister had a meeting where the necessity of operating mountaineering activities through one door policy was accredited. The meeting was decisive in implementing this policy in order to create a favourable environment for the climbers.

C) All associations has requested for permission to make the peaks up to 5999m high permit free and also to handover the management of peaks that are between 6000 to 6700 m to Nepal Mountaineering Association.

D) It has been suggested to The Government of Nepal to reduce the fees of communication equipments such as walkie-talkies, satellite telephone, radios, video cameras, documentary filming, mountain filming etc. and equipments used by climbing expeditions.

E) 3rd International Sagarmatha (Mt.Everest) Day Celebration will be held on 29 May 2010 with various programs. We expect more than 250 Mt.Everest summiteers, including renowned climbers like Chris Bonington, Peter Habelar, Apa Sherpa, Min Bahadur Serchan, Dawa Steven Sherpa, Bill Burke, David Liano, to attend the program. To honour the Mt. Everest summiteers a request letter has been sent to The Government of Nepal asking to provide them free visas every time they visit Nepal. The summiteers will be regarded as the Goodwill Ambassadors of Nepal to promote Nepalese mountain tourism.

F) Mt. Dhaulagiri Golden Jubilee will be celebrated on May 13, 2010 in Pokhara. Noted climbers like Kurt Diemberger (first summiteer of Mt. Dhaulagiri), and Reinhold Messner are the Guests of Honour and many other renowned climbers will be present to celebrate Mt. Dhaulagiri Golden Jubilee. On this occasion, it is requested that there should be a 50% concession on royalty for all the climbers of Mt. Dhaulagiri. Likewise the Summiteers of Mt Dhaulagiri should be provided free visas from 2010 to 2011.

Also please visit the following links:
http://www.climate4life.org
http://www.theuiaa.org/news_219_Letter-from-Ang-Tshering-Sherpa-president-Nepal-Mountaineering-Association
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/dec/10/copenhagen-sherpa-himalayas

http://www.lindamcmillan.com/picture-gallery http://www.lindamcmillan.com/picture-gallery

http://www.adventuretravelnews.com/updates-from-the-nepal-mountaineering-association

http://www.usaid.gov/press/frontlines/fl_feb10/p09_climate100221.html

http://www.agrobiodiversityplatform.org/blog/?p=2870
www.theuiaa.org/act_mountain_protection.html
http://www.everestnews.com/stories2010/everest201001042010.htm
http://www.americanalpineclub.org/exitstrategies
http://www.festivalalpinismu.cz/fotogalerie
http://www.festivalalpinismu.cz/program/2-program-patek
http://www.festivalalpinismu.cz/program/48-nedele22

Finally I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Prime Minister and The Government of Nepal for nominating me as the member of National Tourism Council and my son Dawa Steven Sherpa as the member of Climate Change Council to the Prime Minister.

I am also thankful to the International Olympic Committee and Mr. Jacques Rogge, president of The International Olympic Committee for presenting Dawa Steven Sherpa the “International Olympic Committee Award for Sports and Environment.”

With kind regards,

Ang Tshering Sherpa