KOLKATA: Mountaineers and Everest summiters from different parts of the world have come forward to raise funds for Briton Leslie John Binns’ next Everest mission after he abandoned his last quest to save an Indian climber on the world’s highest peak.
The British ex-serviceman had abandoned his expedition 450 metres before the summit to save West Bengal’s Sunita Hazra on May 21.
“This fellow - probably not a ton different from me - probably scrimped for years to do the one thing that he longed to do. When he was at the balcony before the summit, he opted to help others rather than experience his dream. I suggest we pony up and get Les back on the hill. He deserves a chance but probably won’t be able to afford it. What do you say?” American mountaineer Patrick McKnight posted on Facebook while urging others to pool in funds to help Binns go on another Everest mission.
McKnight’s post garnered a favourable response from many mountaineers across the world including former Everest summiters. Climbers from West Bengal too stepped forward to become a part of McKnight’s initiative.
“I support the move. Binns should not have to bear the brunt of raising funds for the expedition once more. I’m ready to contribute. We all should come forward in Bengal. One has to keep in mind that the minimum cost of an expedition to Everest from Bengal is around Rs 17 Lakhs. However, the cost is much more for Westerners. I wish someone here starts an initiative and contacts Binns, ” said mountaineer Soumya Mukherjee .
{{/usCountry}}“I support the move. Binns should not have to bear the brunt of raising funds for the expedition once more. I’m ready to contribute. We all should come forward in Bengal. One has to keep in mind that the minimum cost of an expedition to Everest from Bengal is around Rs 17 Lakhs. However, the cost is much more for Westerners. I wish someone here starts an initiative and contacts Binns, ” said mountaineer Soumya Mukherjee .
{{/usCountry}}McKnight said he would launch an online fund-raising campaign once he got permission from Binns, who is yet to return to the United Kingdom.