Nepali woman scales 8th highest mountain

A female photo journalist from Nepal yesterday scaled the world’s eighth highest peak Mount Manaslu in Gorkha district of the Himalayan nation.“I confirmed with the Sherpa guides and officials who were in Camp IV through walkie-talkie communication. Purnima Shrestha stood atop the 8,163m peak along with other climbers at 4am this morning,” Temba Tsheri Sherpa, director of an expedition company Sherpa Khangri Outdoor, told Xinhua news agency.“Four foreigner climbers also reached the top of the peak at 6am under my expedition company,” Sherpa added.At least 20 teams, including over 250 climbers, had taken permits for Mount Manaslu this season. The rope-fixing team had stood atop the peak on September 18, opening the route for climbers. Shrestha, 27, who hails from Gorkha district, has been doing photo journalism for different national dailies and online portals in the last five years.“I would like to climb the peak to encourage other fellow women to follow their dreams,” Shrestha said prior to her expedition journey.As many as 10 climbers, including both Nepali and foreign nationals, successfully climbed Manaslu yesterday alone while many others were already in Camp IV to try their luck, according to Nepal’s department of tourism.