Bhutanese climber makes history with Everest summit
Royal Bhutan Army Lieutenant Jigme Pelden Dorje becomes the first Bhutanese to scale Mount Everest
Jigme Pelden Dorji, a Lieutenant of Royal Bhutan Army, scaled Mount Everest on Monday, becoming the first Bhutanese to summit the world's highest peak.
The 24-year-old stood atop the summit of the world’s highest peak at 9.30 A.M. Monday morning, said his expedition organizer. Jigme was accompanied by climbing guide Chakra Rai.
Sharing the news on social media site Facebook post, Pioneer Adventure, the expedition organizer, wrote : “Congratulations to Jigme Pelden Dorje on Conquering Mt. Everest!”
Jigme Pelden Dorji dedicated his success to “my country, our monarch and our enduring spirit of exploration.”
According to the Department of Tourism, Jigme Pelden Dorji is part of a 15-member expedition team (excluding Sherpas) from Pioneer Adventures, led by US climber David Charles Fathalikhani. The other members of the team include Nathan Alan Frederick, Zhu Shuhui, Ligia Maria Madrigal Moya, Chen Zhihong, John Rhett Evans, Rama Thakur, Rajasekhar Reddy Kandi, Srinidhi Sampath Lyengar Raghavan, Hareshbhai Maganlal Dudhat, Satyadeep Gupta, Zhang Bingjie, Yu Senhua, and Rohit Laxman Patil.
Jigme was recognized as the best cadet rider in the National Defence Academy’s passing out course and was also the recipient of the IMA Lt. Satyendra Chaudhary Award in 2022, Bhutanese media reported.
It is understood that the Bhutanese queen is expected to arrive in Kathmandu to welcome the climber.
A total of 416 climbers have acquired permits, excluding Sherpas, who do not require permits.
