An Austrian climber has been found dead in the Himalayas after attempting a solo ascent of a peak in Nepal’s Everest region, officials said Friday, the first death since new laws were introduced banning lone climbs. Thousands of mountaineers flock to Nepal — home to eight of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 metres — each spring and autumn when clear weather provides good climbing conditions The 41-year-old climber is believed to have died in late December after falling from a ridge on his way to the 6,119 metre (20,075 feet) summit of Mount Lobuche’s eastern peak, which neighbours Mount Everest. “He left his guide at high camp and his plan was to climb to the summit alone. The guide waited until 2:00 am the next morning and when he didn’t return, the guide went to Lobuche village and raised the alarm,” said Raju Dong Lama, director of Ramdung Expeditions, which organised the climb. A search operation on foot and with helicopters took 10 days to find the climber’s body, Lama said. The death is the first since Nepal introduced new rules banning solo climbers from scaling its biggest mountains late last year. He is thought to have started his climb before the new rules were introduced. The government says the new law aims to make mountaineering safer and decrease deaths. “This is first death of a solo climber after the government banned solo climbers from mountaineering. We are planning to take initiatives to impose this ban strictly to save… [Read full story]
Three climbers have died on Mount Everest and another is missing in a busy and tragic weekend on the world's highest mountain, officials and expedition organizers said Monday.An American climber died near the summit and an Indian climber is missing after heading down from the top following a successful ascent, expedition organizers said.Roland Yearwood, 50, from Georgiana, Alabama, died Sunday but details were not immediately known, said Murari Sharma of the Everest Parivar Expedition agency, based in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.Indian climber Ravi Kumar fell sick on his way down from the summit on Saturday and did not make it to…... [read more]
The Asian Book of Records has recognised the efforts of an 83-year-old Vietnamese man who has climbed Mt Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina - not once, but four times. Huynh Van Rang, from the southern province of Binh Duong, was declared the oldest person in Viet Nam to have reached the peak of the 3,143m mountain at the tail end of the Himalayas. The presence of witnesses who accompanied him clinched the award for Rang. They testified that Rang climbed Fansipan, located in northern province of Lao Cai, for the first time in June 2007 when he was 77.…... [read more]
Aiming high: Huynh Van Rang is the oldest person to have climbed Fansipan mountain four times. — Photo hspb.net HA NOI (VNS)— The Asian Book of Records has recognised the efforts of an 83-year-old Vietnamese man who has climbed Mt Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina - not once, but four times.Huynh Van Rang, from the southern province of Binh Duong, was declared the oldest person in Viet Nam to have reached the peak of the 3,143m mountain at the tail end of the Himalayas. The presence of witnesses who accompanied him clinched the award for Rang.They testified that Rang…... [read more]
Hollywood actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Brolin have arrived in Nepalto shoot a new film based on the Everest bestseller "Into Thin Air", agovernment official said. File photo of actor Jake Gyllenhaal (AFP/File/Robyn Beck) Brolin and Gyllenhaal, who are staying at a five-star hotel inKathmandu, will play the lead roles in the film, named "Everest", whichwill focus on an ill-fated attempt to scale the world's tallest mountainin 1996. Iceland's Baltasar Kormakur is directing the film, which tells thestory of how eight climbers lost their lives when a rogue storm struckthe mountain. "A local agent applied for permission on behalf of…... [read more]
WASHINGTON – Nine people have been killed and several wounded after a shootout between rival biker groups in Waco, Texas, with more gangs threatening to descend on the town after the violence, local media reported. Fighting broke out on Sunday in a restaurant parking lot between three rival groups, with some members using clubs and knives before pulling guns, according to Sergeant W. Patrick Swanton, speaking to CBS affiliate KWTX. Local news outlets reported that as many as 18 people were wounded, mostly from gunshot and stab wounds, and Swanton told reports that more than 100 weapons were collected from…... [read more]
