June 2, 2003
Junko Tabei, the Lady Pioneer who Conquered Sagarmatha
Celebrates Golden Jubilee
|
Ms. Tabei was felicitated and specially honored along with Sir Hillary as the two key figures on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee Celebration. In this historic event, Nepalese people recalled her brilliant success in scaling Sagarmatha 28 years ago.
In the symposium on mountaineering and development held on May 29, she presented detailed facts that gave a clear picture of the deteriorating environmental situation in Sagarmatha due to the increasing number of climbers in the recent years. Emphasizing the need to safeguard the environment in Sagarmatha region, she stated, "In order to help solve the problem, the government and mountaineers have to work together to maintain the precious environment on high mountains. Besides this, there needs to be more restrictions on the number of expeditions."
Ms. Tabei was awarded the highest Nepali decoration, Gorkha-Dakshin-Bahu, for her achievement as the first woman to conquer Sagarmatha in 1975. Consequently, she felt some obligation to repay this honor by helping the people in the Himalayan region to protect their beautiful homeland. Realizing the importance of preserving this environment, she has established an NGO named the Himalayan Adventure Trust of Japan together with her fellow mountaineering members to carry out environmental preservation programs. In 1994, the organization built a garbage incinerator in Lukla. Subsequently, in 1996, apple trees were planted in Chopulun village to improve the villagers' livelihood. Her fervent desire is that these trees would grow as the symbol of the friendship and peaceful development of Chopulun village.
|
|
