Darjeeling, Apr 3 : The Sikkim government-sponsored Everest expedition in Nepal has run into rough weather as mountaineering associations have demanded that the trek be postponed in order to ensure all climbers get equal opportunity for selection.
Seven mountaineers have been selected by the Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Eco-tourism (IHCAE) for the Rs 1.4 crore expedition scheduled to commence from the first week of this month.
The IHCAE is a division under the Sikkim Tourism department and is based in Chemchey, South district.
Top mountaineering associations claim that qualified and veteran mountaineers were kept in the dark about the selection process, and thereby denied rightful opportunity to be considered by the IHCAE.
The mountaineering associations include Sikkim Mountaineering Association, Sikkim Amateur Mountaineering Association, Travel Agents Association of Sikkim and Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operators.
“Everest expedition is like Olympics for a mountaineer. While we thank the state government for providing this opportunity, we are sad to see that experienced and qualified mountaineers were kept in the dark about the selection process,” heads of the organisations said.
The associations argued that a pre-Everest expedition within Sikkim could have been conducted by the organisers to select the best mountaineers available in the state.
Instead of going for a pre-Everest expedition to high altitude peaks, the expedition members have gone to Dzongri which is a trekking trail, they said.
The four organisations - Sikkim Mountaineering Association, Sikkim Amateur Mountaineering Association, Travel Agents Association of Sikkim and Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operators - jointly asked the state government to postpone the Everest expedition till next year.
Executive members of the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim and Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operators were also unhappy with the IHCAE which allegedly selected a tour operator from outside Sikkim for handling the Everest itinerary.
“There are several tour operators in Sikkim who are experienced in handling such mountaineering expeditions. It is sad to see that the state government financed event has been outsourced to an agency outside Sikkim,” they said.
When contacted, Sikkim Tourism secretary K S Topgay said a letter from SAMA and SMA had been sent to him requesting that the Everest expedition be postponed.
Topgay said that the selection of the expedition members does not come under the purview of the Tourism Department.
IHCAE Director G T Bhutia said that bookings and other formalities for the Everest expedition had already been done.
