Hillary for limited expeditions to Mt Everest

Hillary has advised Nepal Govt to allow only a limited number of expeditions to the highest peak.

Concerned over the rise in traffic to Mount Everest during the years, legendary mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary has advised Nepal government to allow only a limited number of expeditions to the highest peak in the world to save it from adverse environmental impact.

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"Nepal should issue only a limited number of permits to climb the Everest in order to maintain its beauty and importance," Hillary, the first person to conquer Mt Everest, told reporters here.

Pointing that the mountain deserved "rest for a few years", the 84-year-old said mountaineering should be developed in such a way that it benefits the poor people of the mountain region while the ecological balance is not tampered with.

Tourism is an importance means for Nepal's economic development and the Himalayan range and the cultural diversity could be the main source for the development of tourism, the veteran mountaineer, who has been involved in health, education and income oriented programmes in the Khumbu region near the Everest base camp, said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, King Gyanendra has extended greetings to Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the first conquest of Mt. Everest by a British expedition team.

"We in Nepal join Her Majesty and the friendly people of the UK in celebrating this joyous occasion, which symbolizes the close ties of friendship and cooperation," the King said in his message.

Queen Elizabeth has also sent a message to the Nepalese King and the people wishing for a peaceful and prosperous future for the country.

The expedition was a historic illustration of the close ties between our countries, she said.