エベレスト初登頂から７０年　ネパールで記念式典

【クムジュン（ネパール）ＡＦＰ＝時事】世界最高峰エベレスト（標高８８４９メートル）の初登頂成功７０周年を祝う式典が２９日、ネパール東部のクムジュン村で開催された。初登頂を果たしたエドモンド・ヒラリー、テンジン・ノルゲイ両氏の息子らが出席した。（写真はネパールの首都カトマンズで開催された、エベレストの初登頂成功７０周年を祝う記念式典）
　ニュージーランド出身のヒラリー氏とネパール人ガイドのノルゲイ氏は１９５３年５月２９日、エベレストに初登頂。この日は、標高３７９０メートルのクムジュン村の、ヒラリー氏が建てた学校で式典が行われた。首都カトマンズでも式典が開催され、政府関係者や登山業界関係者など数百人が出席した。
　ヒマラヤ登山に関する記録をまとめた「ヒマラヤン・データベース」によると、エベレストには過去７０年間で６０００人超が登頂。一方で、３００人以上が命を落としている。今年はこれまでに１２人が死亡、５人が行方不明となっており、年間死者数は過去最多となる勢いだ。
　エベレスト登山は観光業に貢献しているだけでなく、登山関連業界の急成長を通じてネパール経済に利益をもたらしている。外国人登山者は、登山許可証の発給に１万１０００ドル（約１５４万円）の支払いが求められる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/05/30-16:45）

The sons of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa led celebrations in Nepal on Monday to mark the 70th anniversary of the historic first ascent of Everest.
The scaling of the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak on May 29, 1953, changed mountaineering forever and made the New Zealander and his Nepalese guide household names.
In a whole lot of ways, it was not just Ed Hillary and Tenzing Norgay that reached the summit of Mount Everest, it was all of humanity, Peter Hillary said at a school founded by his father in the remote village of Khumjung at 3,790 metres.
Suddenly, all of us could go, he said.
And gone they have. In the past seven decades, more than 6,000 climbers have climbed the world's highest mountain, according to the Himalayan Database.
It remains dangerous, with more than 300 losing their lives in the same period, including 12 this year. Five others are missing, putting 2023 on course to be a record deadly year.
As well as supporting tourism, the rapid growth in the climbing industry has raised revenue for Nepal, which today charges foreigners an Everest permit fee of $11,000.
Family members of both the climbers joined locals and officials at the school on Monday morning to inaugurate the Sir Edmund Hillary Visitors Centre, housed in the original building, which opened in 1961.
Butter lamps were lit in front of a photograph of Hillary and Tenzing, and their sons, Peter Hillary and Jamling Norgay, cut a red ribbon to open the doors to the centre.
A renovated museum also opened in Tenzing Norgay's name in Namche Bazaar, the largest tourist hub in the trek to the Everest base camp.
In Kathmandu, officials and hundreds from the mountaineering community joined a rally with celebratory banners.
Top Nepali climbers, including the record holder for most Everest ascents Kami Rita Sherpa, were honoured in a ceremony.
Sanu Sherpa, the only person to climb the world?s 14 highest peaks twice, called on the government to support the Nepali guides, who bear huge risks to carry equipment and food, fix ropes and repair ladders.
The government has not done much for the Sherpa. I think it would be of great help and we would be happy if the government helps educate children of those climbers who died on mountains, Sherpa told AFP.