Jigme Pelden Dorji becomes the first Bhutanese to summit Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. The 24-year-old marked the historic moment at 9:30 AM Nepal Standard Time this morning. According to sources, Jigme is safe as of now and is descending towards Camp II. If everything goes according to the plan, Jigme is expected to reach the base camp tomorrow.
Jigme Pelden Dorji started the final lap towards the Summit on Thursday before midnight from the base camp. On the journey, he is accompanied by his personal guide Chakra Rai commonly known as Sherpa in the mountaineering community.
BBS couldn’t get in touch with Jigme Pelden Dorji today, as he is moving towards camp II.
However, Jigme left a message on his social media platform, thanking his well-wishers in Bhutan before he started the final push.
“This is Chakra Dai, he is my personal guide. So, we are about to move for the Summit push and I am really grateful for your blessings. Chakra Dai will be with me till the top and till we reach safely at the base camp. So, Chakra Dai,we will do good. Positive mind, all the best! Pelden Drukpa Lha Gyalo,” Jigme posted on his Instagram page.
Going by the dates, it took Jigme three days and four nights to reach the summit.
Generally, every climber has to ascend four different camps after the base camp, cross the death zone and the Hilary Step before reaching the summit point.
According to the sources BBS talked to, the weather was quite harsh before the summit, yet Jigme pushed towards it.
There are two ways to summit Mount Everest, one from the Northeast in Tibetan Autonomous region and the other route is from the southeast in Nepal. Jigme summited the peak from the southeast route.
According to Nima Nuru Sherpa, the president of the Mountaineering
Association of Nepal, Jigme is the only Bhutanese to have successfully reached the summit point.
On average, summiting Everest and returning spans around two months. Jigme left the country on the 10th of last month and reached the base camp on the 19th of April.
Before leaving for the summit, Jigme underwent training for around six months.
Devika Pradhan
Edited by Phub Gyem
