Three Indian climbers honoured on Everest Day

Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, May 30 (PTI) Three Everest climbers from
India have been felicitated at a function organised by the
Nepal Tourism Board here.

Krushnaa Patil, 19, from India's western state of
Maharashtra, Gaurav Sharma, 25 from north-western desert state
of Rajasthan and Tapi Mara, 26 from north-eastern state of
Arunachal Pradesh were among the Everest climbers who
participated in Eco Everest Expedition 2009, as part of the
Second International Everest Day to commemorate the first
human step on the world's highest peak by Sherpa Tenzing and
Edmund Hillary in 1953 May 29.

Over 100 international climbers including two dozen
foreign climbers were given away medals, certificates and gift
voucher Friday. The three Indian Everest Summiteers were among
the 11 Indian climbers who scaled the world's highest peak
(8,848m) on May 20 and 21.

All the three Indians have set new records for India.
Krushnaa Patil, a Pune girl, has become the first Indian women
to scale the world's highest peak while Tapi, who reached the
Everest from the base camp in 41 hours, set the record as the
fastest climber from Arunachal Pradesh to reach the tallest
point of the earth. Similarly, Gaurav became the first
Rajasthani to climb Everest.

"I had come here to set a new world record by becoming
the fastest foreign climber, but I could not do that this
time", he told PTI adding "I will try to become the faster
foreign climber". PTI