Rush for Everest glory, records begin

Some people are never easily satisfied. Spanish climber David Liano Gonzalez belongs to that tribe. On Sunday morning, the 33-year-old reached the summit of Mount Everest (8,848 m) from the north (Tibet) side. This was his fifth ascent of the world's highest peak. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: May 20, 2013, 01:18:18 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Some people are never easily satisfied. Spanish climber David Liano Gonzalez belongs to that tribe.

On Sunday morning, the 33-year-old reached the summit of Mount Everest (8,848 m) from the north (Tibet) side. This was his fifth ascent of the world's highest peak.

More significantly, Gonzalez achieved this feat just eight days after scaling the peak on May 11 from the south (Nepal) side -becoming the first person to complete 'double summit' in one climbing season.

"At 4:30 am on May 19, I came back to the top of the world.….achieving the double promotion," he wrote on his website soon after creating the record.

Gonzalez is among hundreds of climbers from across the world rushing towards the Everest summit within the 'weather window' of eight days beginning May 18.

Nine members of a joint team of army personnel from Nepal and India also reached the peak at 9:00 am on Sunday. The team is on a mission to clean garbage from the mountain.

On Saturday, as many as 64 climbers reached the peak from the Nepal side. They included Raha Moharrak, who became the first Saudi Arabian woman to scale Everest.

The 25-year-old is part of 'Arabs with Altitude' which includes a Qatari royal, an Iranian entrepreneur and a Palestinian businessman.

Eleven Sherpas were the first to reach the peak this season on May 10. Till Friday, 43 climbers had reached the peak - the first rush for the peak began Saturday.

"Till Sunday, 248 climbers have reached the peak," said Tilak Pandey, an official of Nepal government's tourism ministry.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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