Women on top | Young Ideas

Till date, only seven Nepali women have climbed Sagarmatha, compared to the hundreds of men who have. In an effort to rectify this, comes a novel expedition. The First Inclusive Women's Sagarmatha Expedition 2008 Spring brings together thirteen women, ages ranging from 17 to 27, from all over Nepal, and from various communities on their combined effort to scale the world's highest peak.

Yangdi

Chunu

Nimdima

Pemadiki

Usha

Sushmita

Maya

WAVE talked to seven of the thirteen in an effort to better understand these courageous young women.

Participants:
Sushmita Maskey, Ktm, 27 (Expedition co-ordinator)
Yangdi Sherpa, Solu Khumbu, 20
Usha Bista, Kailali, 22
Nimdoma Sherpa, Dolakha, 17
Maya Gurung, Sindhupalchok, 27
Pemadiki Sherpa, Dolakha, 20
Chunu Shrestha, Ktm, 24

KUNDA DIXIT

How did you all come together for this one effort?
Yangdi: Being an athlete, I've competed in the Tenzing Hillary Sagarmatha Marathon and the 3 Rifugi Sky Race in Italy. A cyclist friend told me about this and I jumped at the chance.
Usha: Pemba Dorjee Sherpa, one of the organizers of this expedition, whom I knew from my previous attempt to climb Sagarmatha, encouraged me to try again.
Nimdoma: A relative told me about the planned attempt.
Maya: It was Pemda dai in my case too.
Pemadiki: I come from a family of trekkers and mountaineers so it was my family who told me about it.
Chunu: Sushmita and I are friends so she told me.
Sushmita: The concept was born with Pemba Dorjee Sherpa, mountaineering instructors Da Gombu Sherpa, Pasang Lhamu and I.

STRONG>So why a team comprising only of women? Tell us more about what you're trying to do.
There is immense opportunity to take up mountaineering professionally for Nepali women too. If all 13 of us are to be successful, it would be a great achievement for Nepali women. Even the porters and guides will be women, but there will be a few men supporters above 7000m on Sagarmatha.

Chunu: We want to attract women towards climbing. Not just women from one community, but from all castes and communities.

Is it very important to be inclusive?
Yangdi: Inclusiveness is not just a big word that we're throwing around. In fact, we did not specifically pick girls from different communities. After the selection process was complete, it so happened that we had Sherpas, Newars, Bhrahmins and Chettris among us.
Chunu: We're trying to show that is possible, especially for women.

How much support have you had from friends and family?
Sushmita: Support has mostly been mixed. There are some who express doubts about our abilities and see us as just frail, weak women.
Yangdi: I come from a family of trekkers so have full support.
Maya: My family is worried about my safety that's why they tried to stop me but haven't been successful yet.
Usha: I am the youngest in my family. Initially my parents didn't want me to do this but my brother encouraged me to try again even though I have loans to pay off from my first attempt.

Do you think women can make a living from mountaineering?
Chunu: If no one tries to stop us or hinder us, then of course. Why not?
Nimdoma: I think it is very much possible. That's why I'm here to try.

Tell us one moment when you felt like you could now finally climb Sagarmatha.
Nimdoma: After completing Nepal Mountaineering Association's basic and advanced training courses, I felt that I could take on any mountain.
Sushmita: I did the Annapurna circuit trek and learned that I could walk just as well as experienced trekkers and rock climbing at Balaju were both confidence boosters .
Yangdi: When we climbed Yala peak for training, we walked with men who had climbed much more than we had. I found that I could climb just as easily as them, if not better.

So what other peaks do you plan to climb after conquering Sagarmatha?
Yangdi: I'll just focus on Sagarmatha for now. Then after, I'll go for all of Nepal's 8000m peaks.
Usha: All of the 8000m peaks, wherever they are.
Nimdoma: Lhotse and Ama Dablam.
Maya: Just Sagarmatha for now.
Pemadiki: I'll just look around from Sagarmatha and climb whatever I see from there.
Sushmita: K2, Cho Oyu and Dhaulagiri.

Tell us what you'll do when you reach the top of the world.
Sushmita: I'll get down on my knees and pray to the mountain god because I believe that Chomolungma is a holy mountain. I'll also think of my mother. And dance.
Usha: I'll think of my home, the place where I come from.
Chunu: I'll dance too. And think of God, family, friends.
Yangdi: First think of my family and then just enjoy the view.
Nimdoma: I'll wave our flag high and let it flutter in the wind.
Maya: Take a picture!

Just how confident are you that you'll reach the top?
Yangdi: Very confident. If the weather is perfect, we'll reach the top for sure.
Sushmita: Weather and our health needs to be perfect. There's also luck. Luck is a major factor.
Maya: We'll make sure to take a picture of the 13 of us on top and send it back to WAVE.