Everest May See Two New Records

-By Our Correspondent

This spring will see two Sherpas— Tembachhiri Sherpa and Babuchhiri Sherpa— trying to set two new records on Mt. Everest as the youngest and the fastest climbers.

If Tembachhiri Sherpa succeeds he will be the youngest climber of the Everest at the age of 14. Born in Gaurishankar VDC of Dolakha district Sherpa the class-seven student at Pashupati Secondary School, Kathmandu, says that he has always cherished the dream to be the youngest climber atop the world’s tallest peak.

The school boy is excited about his upcoming expedition. It will also be like a family affair. His 44-year-old mountain guide father Chhawa Sherpa and his 17-year-old brother Chhiring Sherpa will also accompanying him.

Other members of the team include Tembachhiri’s instructor Dangima Sherpa, Phurbachhiri Sherpa and Ram Krishna Shrestha.

Being organised by the Dolakha Academy, the seven-member ‘Everest Expedition-2000 New Record’ led by Bhakta Bahadur Thakuri will set out on the expedition on April 13.

The team plans to reach the top of Mt. Everest on April 17 and install the Lord Buddha’s idol there coinciding with 2,544 anniversary of the Apostle of Peace.

The youngest climber ever to attempt Mt. Everest was Nepal's Arbin Timilsina, also a school student, at the age of 16 in 1999.

Timilsina had to abandon the expedition when he was about 100 metres below the summit because of the shortage of oxygen and eyesore.

Sherpas, who had accompanied Timilsina, said Timilsina had used too much oxygen, almost six cylinders, during his ascent.

Meanwhile, the youngest ever successful climber was Nepal's Shambhu Tamang. He was, by then, only 18 years old when he climbed the Mt. Everest in the 70s.

Similarly, Babuchhiri Sherpa, who has already set two world records by staying atop Mt. Everest for 21 hours without oxygen, and climbing the world’s tallest peak two times in one season last autumn, has now decided to 'sprint' to the top in 16 hours.

Sherpa has already climbed Mt. Everest for nine times. He also plans to be the first mountaineer to scale the 8,848-meter peak for 11 times by climbing two times this spring.

Babuchhiri’s Sixteen-hour Everest Expedition Campaign is scheduled to depart for Everest in the end of March. Gorkha Airlines is the main sponsor of Babuchhiri’s expedition.

Earlier, mountaineer Kaji Sherpa had set a new record by reaching atop of Everest in 20 hours and 24 minutes.

So far, nearly 800 climbers have successfully reached the summit of the top of the world.

In 1996, there even was a rush to climb to the top with almost three dozen climbers reaching the top in a single day.

RCNA Is Turning Into An Open Zoo

-By Krishna Shreshta

If no concrete steps are taken soon, one of the world heritage sites and a successful testimony of nature conservation in South Asia, the Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNA), may turn into an open zoo, rather than a national park. This is what conservationists fear.

The Royal Chitwan National Park, the first national park of the country, was established in 1973 to preserve the unique ecosystem of the Nepalese terai. But some part of its, mainly the Sauraha area, has turned into an semi-open zoo. The number of tourists visiting the Park has increased remarkably in the last couples of years. The National Park has become one of the major tourist destinations of the country.

According to a figure of the Department of the National Park and Wildlife Reserves, the number of tourists who visited the Park increased drammatically in the last decade -- from 57,947 in 1992/93 to105,880 in 1998/99. However, the number of people coming into the Park could be as high as 150,000.

Both the number of pedestrians and the vehicle movement have increased drammatically in recent years. Dust blown by the vehicle movement can been seen even from far away. The growing frequency of elephant ride has increased more pressure on the vegetation and wildlife habitat. Although the number of elephant riding has increased there are no specific trails for elephants.

If immediate measures are not taken, the National Park will be turned into an open zoo in coming years, says Dr. Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha, Advisor Consultant at the World Conservation Union.

Ukesh Raj Bhuju, Conservation Program Director for Asia Pacific Program of World Wildlife Fund, also said that the Park has not been properly managed.

If the situation remains same there will be no difference between the inside and the outside the park, Bhuju says.

According to him, Sauraha, which is the adjoining area of the park, is being disturbed from lighting and the loud music. Sauraha also comes under the buffer zone area of the park.

Because of these activities, the natural environment of the area has been disturbed, says Karna Shakya, forester turned tourism entrepreneurs. Shakya was involved in reconnaissance survey and the delineation of Royal Chitwan National Park in 1968.

Though tourists are not allowed to enter the park from sunset to sunrise, the existing practice is itself a wrong practice, says Rajendra N. Suwal, a nature guide. According to him, the daytime is the resting time of most of the wildlife, so they should not be disturbed as far as possible.

Gopal Prasad Upadhyaya, Chief Warden of the Park also agrees that the frequent movement of the tourists disturb the animals. Again, officials in the department fear that controlling the number of tourist may create tension with local people mainly because of the investment made by them in constructing hotels and other tourist-related infrastructures.

What may be urgently needed is to assess the carrying capacity of the Park and to regulate the flow of tourists. The government should close the National Park at least for three months during the rainy season, says Chief Warden Upadhyaya.

But, the park management has opened more points for tourists. Even now there are eight entrance gates into the Park

The seven resorts opened within the park is another disturbing factors for the habitat of animals. However, if all goes well, there will be no resorts from 2008 as agreements for running all the resorts within the Park expires on that year.

There should be wilderness in the park. We should not consider earning money only. Concerned persons related to tourism, park and wildlife experts should sit together and find our the amicable solution, says Ukesh Raj Bhuju.

Dr. Shrestha also says that national parks should be place where nature works. It should not be place for showing big animals only to the tourists.

There is no eco-tourism management in national park, says Dr. Shrestha. Buffer zone is a good concept. Activities presently done within park area should be confined in the buffer zone area.

However, Laxmi Manandhar, Conservation Education Officer and former Chief Warden of Royal Chitwan National Parks is optimistic and says that the situation will improve once the management plan of the park is approved.

The management plan for the Royal Chitwan National Park has already been drafted. It is on the process for approval. Once the management plan is approved, it will deal various issues including the tourism sector, opening hotels in the buffer zone area, wetland management, grassland management, infrastructure development and anti-poaching, said Manandhar.

Chief Warden Upadhyaya says the implementation of the management plan has become an utmost necessary if the park is to maintain a natural environment.

The Park is situated in south central Nepal covering 932 sq. km. area in the inner Terai. An area comprising the Tikauli forest – from Rapti river to the foothills of the Mahabharat – extending over 175 sq.km. was declared Mahendra Mriga Kunj (Mahendra Deer Park) by the late King Mahendra in 1959.

In 1963, the area south of the Rapti river was demarcated as a rhinoceros sanctuary. The area was gazetted as the country’s first National Park in 1973. UNESCO, recognising the unique ecosystem of park, had declared the park as a world heritage site in 1984.

According to the Department of National Park and Wildlife Reserves, a total of 56 mammal species including pangolin, sloth bear, leopard cat, tiger, clouded leopard, leopard, greater one-horned rhinoceros, gaur etc. have been recorded from the Park. Similarly, more than 500 species of birds, about 50 species of reptiles including gharial, marsh mugger, python, king cobra etc. are also found in the Park. However, the amphibian species is comparatively low in the park.