Kazi Sherpa reaches Everest base camp, now the climbing begins in earnest

GANGTOK, 09 April: Kazi Sherpa, a school teacher by profession and currently an officer on special duty at the Indian Himalayan Center for Adventure and Eco-Tourism, has reached the base camp of Mount Everest at 17,250 ft, informed the Director, IHCAE, GT Bhutia today. Mr. Sherpa, it may be recalled, is representing Sikkim and the country on a Mount Everest Expedition a part of a team which comprises of seven others, all Koreans. He has been sponsored to the expedition by the State Government.
Mr. Bhutia detailed that Kazi Sherpa and his team reached Namche on 03 April where they halted for two days for acclimatization and moved on for Duchee on 05 April, proceeding the next day to Pheraychee and on 07 April moved up to Gorakhechep which is about 1:30 to 2 hours away from Mount Everest Base camp.
The team, after reaching Gorakhechep on 08 April, even made an excursion to Kala Pathar, a peak at the height of 18,350 feet, to get a clear view of the Mount Everest and surrounding peaks.
Mr. Bhutia mentioned that Kala Pathar is the only peak which offers a full view of the Everest peak itself and the range. The views are constricted from all other halts on the final march to Everest including the base camp, he explains.
The team reached the base camp today and now the real climbing of the expedition will begin in the earnest.
The team plans to establish three camps before making the final push for the summit and becoming Everesters. Thankfully, weather, which had played spoilsport in the initial days of the expedition is now holding out well, Mr. Sherpa is reported to have communicated to his Director, and if good weather continues, the summit could be achieved any time in May, Mr. Sherpa has conveyed from the base camp.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Pawan Chamling had flagged off Kazi Sherpa on his Everest Expedition from Gangtok on 27 March.