KATHMANDU: Mountaineers were honoured on the occasion of the completion of 70 years of the first ascent of Mt Manaslu.

Chumanubri Rural Municipality of Gorkha honoured the mountaineers from Gorkha at a program organized in the federal capital here today.

Those honoured are Phunjo Jangmu Lama, Diki Lhamu Lama, Poornima Shrestha, Purna Bahadur Gurung, Yukta Gurung, Hari Bahadur Gurung, Ramesh Gurung, Nawaraj Gurung, Palsang Rimpoche, Sedar Rinpoche, Lama Jigme.

Likewise, Nepal Mountaineering Association, National Trust for Nature Conservation, Manaslu Conservation Area Project, among others were also honoured on the occasion, according to Nima Lama, Chairperson of Chumanubri Rural Municipality.

The first person to successfully reach atop Mt Manaslu was Japanese citizen Toshio Imanishi and Indian citizen Gyalzen Norbu Sherpa on May 9, 1956.

Similarly, on April 22, 1973, Urken Tshering Sherpa, became the first Nepali citizen to successfully climbed Mount Manaslu. Manaslu Day is celebrated to commemorate the first ascent of Mount Manaslu.

So far 3,742 domestic and foreign mountaineers have reached the summit of Mount Manaslu so far. It is the eighth highest mountain in the world and the seventh highest mountain in Nepal.

Speaking at the event, Phunzo Sherpa, who set the world record for the fastest female climber to climb Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, expressed concern over the impact of climate change on the mountains of Nepal.