Three Indian climbers have been accused of wrongly claiming that they reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain. The names of the climbers have been revealed as Vikas Rana from Jind district, Shobha Banwala of Kaithal district, and Ankush Kasana from Hisar district in Haryana.
Their claims have become controversial after a Kathmandu-based media outlet named The Himalayan Times investigated the matter and revealed that officials and eyewitnesses shared that the trio had managed to reach only till Camp III before abandoning their summit pushes on May 26 this year.
The press outlet also quoted the Managing Director of Prestige Adventures Pvt Ltd—who led the team in which the three climbers were part of—to support their argument. The climbers’ claim has been rejected by the Sherpas who are supposed have accompanied them on the expedition. The team has also failed to produce any photographs taken on the summit.
The matter has been taken up by the Nepal government who has initiated an inquiry into the matter, as reported by The Print. The climbers have been asked to submit photographs, videos or any other evidence to substantiate their claim, as per the report.
The issue has become a topic of discussion among international alpinists along with the problem of overcrowding and increased number of fatalities on the roof of the world.