Obama's poster for Nepali Voters

Sir Edmund Hillary Environment Award

Nira Gurung

Communications Officer,ICIMOD

Khumaltar, Lalitpur

First Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Environment Awardfrom the Himalayan Environment Trust goes toDr. Andreas Schild [17 October 2008]The Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Environment Award wasawarded for the first time at a ceremony held at theHeadquarters of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF)in New Delhi, India, on 14 October 2008 -- marking boththe 20th Foundation Day of the Himalayan EnvironmentTrust (HET) and 50 years of the Indian MountaineeringFoundation. The annual award is given by the HimalayanEnvironment Trust to an organisation or individual foran outstanding lifetime contribution to the cause of theHimalayan Environment.The Honourable Dr. Karan Singh, MP of the Government ofIndia, Advisor to the Trust, and Chairman of the AwardCommittee presented the award to Dr. Andreas Schild,Director General of the International Centre for IntegratedMountain Development (ICIMOD) for his outstandingcontributions, successful leadership, and strong commitmenttowards sustainable development over the last 30 years.The award was received by Mrs. Florence Tinguely Mattliof the Swiss Embassy on behalf of Dr. Schild.

Dr. Schild, in his Vote of Acceptance, highlighted his debtas a mountain person and Swiss citizen, and the debt we allhave, to Sir Edmund Hillary. By climbing Everest togetherwith Tensing Sherpa, Sir Edmund sent a strong message tothe world that mountain people are not just helpers butequal partners, and through his subsequent activities, heshowed that environmental protection and development inthe Himalayas as elsewhere can only be done with and throughthe people who live there.

As Director General of ICIMOD, Dr. Schild stressed theimportance of transboundary and regional approachesfocussing on upstream/downstream relationships inlight of the issues being raised by climate change,and looked forward to strengthening efforts togetherwith ICIMOD’s Indian partners at national and regionallevel. Mitigation of climate change calls for globalmeasures, but adaptation has to start locally. Theaward symbolised the readiness and eagerness of theIndian authorities to support these common efforts

Sherpa Won Golf Tournament

Sherwi lungba

Ang Norbu Sherpa (Adventure 6000 Pvt. Ltd.) won the second Seagram’s Royal Stag Cup golf tournament which was recently held at Royal Nepal Golf Club. Played under strokeplay full handicap format, Sherpa accumulated 63 net points while U Aung Khin Soe, ambassador of Myanmar, finished second with 67 points. Puspa Rai won the ladies’ title with 71 points and Shastika Shrestha the second spot. Madhukar Yakthumba (RNGC president) claimed the senior section trophy. The tournament was organised by RNGC under the sponsorship of Seagram’s Royal Stag Deluxe Whiskey. Surya Sharma, Srihar SJB Rana and Tashi Sherpa who represented Himalayan Distillery were also felicitated for winning the Kathmandu Scramble Cup 2007/08.

Who is Ang Norbu Sherpa

Ang Norbu SHERPA.

Born in 1967.

Ang Norbu Sherpa started his career as a Sherpa when he was 13 years old, and after, worked as camp and kitchen helper. Became Sirdar (trekking guide) at the age of 18. For number of years in summer, he worked in the Argentière mountain hut and Lac Blanc mountain hut (Chamonix, France), and also in Japan and USA (Colorado). In 1996 he took a mountain guide training from the 'National School of Ski and Mountaineering' in Chamonix, France. As a guide, he scoured the most important trekking routes in Nepal as well as in Ladakh and Zanskar in India and Tibet. He speaks very good Engish and French. He is a managing Director of Adventure 6000 private limited.

http://www.adventure6000.com/

Happy Vijaya Dashami 2065

Plane Crash In Lukla

Oct 8 - Eighteen people on board died and one injured when a small aircraft belonging to the Yeti Airlines crashed in Lukla in the lap of Mt Everest in Solukhumbu district on Wednesday morning.
Fourteen foreign tourists— 12 Germans and two Australian-- and four Nepalis including two crew members died when the ill-fated twin otter (9N-AFE) that took off from Kathmandu to Lukla, carrying 19 people on board, crashed near the Tenzing-Hillary Airport just before landing at 7.30 this morning.
Surendra Kunwar, the captain of the plane, however survived the tragic accident.
Captain Kunwar is undergoing treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in the capital.
The deceased were apparently heading for a trek arranged by the Lama Excursions.
Meanwhile, the deceased Nepalis have been identified as co-pilot Bikash Pant, air hostess Sunita Shrestha, and air passengers S Adhikari and G Sharma.
The Nepal Army is preparing to airlift the dead bodies to the capital.
According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft burst into flames after crash-landing on the sloping airstrip.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) informed that the visibility at the airport was zero due to foggy weather. At least a visibility of 5,000 is required for landing in the mountainous area, the CAAN said.
Lukla's runway is just 20m wide and is set on a slope, with a steep 700m drop at one end.
Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary airport in the eastern Nepal is the gateway to Nepal's Everest region.Meanwhile, the government is forming a commission to look into the place crash.
Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Hisila Yami informed that the commission will be formed to day itself.
She visited injured captain Kunwar at the Hospital and inquired about his health.
Also today, the CAAN sent a team comprising a doctor and two officials to Lukla.

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source: ekantipur