KATHMANDU, Nov 23: Min Bahadur Sherchan has officially replaced Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest man to climb Mt Everest.
Sherchan is making the announcement at a press meet on Monday evening in Kathmandu, his son Bhojendra Sherchan said. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is expected to attend the conference.
A certificate handed to Sherchan by the Guinness World Records says, “The oldest man to climb Mt Everest is Min Bahadur Sherchan (Nepal b. 20 June 1931) who reached the summit on 25 May 2008 at the age of 76 years 340 days.”
Surendra Sapkota, under-secretary at the Mountaineering Division, Ministry of Tourism, confirmed the recognition. “I have received a copy of the certificate. Sherchan is now officially the oldest man to reach the summit,” he told myrepublica.com.
"I am relieved to finally receive the recognition that is rightfully mine," Sherchan said.
Sherchan received the shock of his life in February this year when he came to know that Miura´s office in Tokyo had revealed to the media that he had been given the recognition by the records book.
In May, Sherchan met Guinness Book officials in London to enquire about the matter and came to realize that he had not completed necessary formalities. Believing that he had done more than the needful by actually climbing the world´s tallest peak, Sherchan had just couriered a copy of recognition by the government and an appreciation letter given to him by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav.
But during the London trip, Sherchan made a personal claim to the record, filled up necessary documents and furnished necessary evidence to support his claim, which eventually led to the recognition.
The documentary lapses had made the Guinness Book recognize Miura, who climbed the mountain two days after Sherchan at the age of 75. Miura, who has undergone two heart surgeries, and was the first person to ski down Everest South Col, which he did in 1970, had set the record in 2003 when he climbed Mt Everest at the age of 70. The record was beaten by another Japanese climber Katsusuke Yanagisawa, who achieved the feat in 2007. And in 2008, Sherchan set the new record.
Sherchan, a retired soldier, was born in Bhurung Tatopani of Myagdi district.
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Kudos, the only aspirant youth has left the country, they day is not far when only octogenarian ppl will be breaking more records, teen,toddler will be cherishing it.
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