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200 reach the top of the world
28/05/2006 22:12 - (SA)
Kathmandu - Almost 200 climbers have scaled the world's highest mountain - 8 848m high Mount Everest - from the Nepalese side in the spring climbing season, said the Nepalese tourism ministry on Sunday.
The ministry said 194 climbers had scaled the mountain so far this year, 104 of them Nepalese sherpas.
Foreign climbers included 19 from the United States; 16 from Britain; eight from India; six from South Korea; five from Canada and Poland; four from Spain and New Zealand; three from Switzerland, the Philippines and Australia; two from South Africa; and individual climbers from 12 other countries.
Almost all used the South East Ridge route first used by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and high altitude porter Tenzing Norgay when they conquered the summit for the first time in May 1953.
Over 2 000 climbers have since scaled Everest from both the Nepalese and Tibetan sides.
The mountain is about 160km northeast of the Nepalese capital on the border between Nepal and Tibet.
According to the ministry, of the 53 teams permitted to climb various Himalayan peaks in Nepal during the current spring mountaineering season, 17 tackled Everest.
- SAPA
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