KATHMANDU: Cyclist Sushma Kumal, 22, is all set to scale the world’s highest peak Mt Everest in April next year.
Kumal, who has been using bicycle as her means of transportation for last two years, has been considering climbing Mt Everest with her bicycle. She earlier had a notion that only the economically disadvantaged people use the bicycles. But now she has chosen a tough way to spread the message of bicycles’ importance.
“We can easily understand the impacts of pollution in the Kathmandu Valley. We have to do something to minimize the adverse impacts of pollution. Motor vehicles are major source of air pollution. We can reduce the pollution by switching our transport from motors to bicycles.”
Cyclists Usha Khanal and Sharmila Thapa have decidd to join Kumal with the slogan ‘women are not weak but only the old mindset has made them weak’ to scale the highest peace in the world.
Khanal, 25, a mountain bike guide, had been planning to climb the Everest earlier but her dream might be fulfilled this time. “I am preparing to reach the top of Mt Everest.” She has already reached up to Thorang La Pass (5,416m) two times with 10 foreign tourists. She has also participated in national and international bike race tournaments.
Thapa, 36, is very enthusiastic about spreading anti-pollution campaign with the use of bicycles. “If we reach the Everest with bicycles, it will definitely promote the tourism sector,” she believed.
Thapa’s inspiration and determination to climb Mt Everest came after she heard somebody calling Kathmandu a city of pollution when she was on a visit to London. Disheartened by the remarks, she decided to climb Everest to raise awareness.
Trekking guide Tsiring Jangbu Sherpa will lead the team of ‘Cycle to Everest 2019’. They are planning to climb the Everest in April, 2019. It is estimated that each of them has to spend Rs 3.2 million to climb the Everest.
They will pedal up to the Everest Base Camp on bicycle. Then they will dismantle parts of cycles and stuff into bags. After reaching top of Everest, they will again assemble the parts to make a bicycle. “It will help in spreading message about the need to curb pollution,” they claimed.
