Probe ordered in fake Everest summit row

Jamling, Tenzing Norgay's son

The outrage in the mountaineering community after the country's highest honour for the sport, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award was offered to someone with questionable claims of summiting Mount Everest, and mid-day's report on the same, has led the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to look into the matter on an emergency basis. It is understood that an enquiry has been initiated into the matter.

ALL attempts to get in touch with Joint Secretary, Asit Singh, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports proved futile.

mid-day had reported Narendar Singh Yadav's claims in 'Norgay award winner never summited Everest,' on Wednesday. Sources in Nepal also indicated that its Department of Tourism (DoT) has initiated a process to gather all information about Singh. The summit certificate given to Singh by expedition agency Seven Summits has to be officially cancelled by the DoT of Nepal.

'Definitely not feeling good'

Jamling Norgay is thoroughly disappointed that the award which bears his father's, legendary mountaineer Tenzing Norgay's name, is going to an alleged fraudster. Speaking to this writer from Darjeeling where he is based he said, "I am definitely not feeling good about it, I was disappointed when I heard this news yesterday."

"How did this person, Narender Singh, get the Everest Summit Certificate in the first place? Faking summits and getting a certificate has become a kind of trend as I see. How is the DoT in Nepal giving summit certificates without checking thoroughly if the person has actually climbed? The government of Nepal and DoT has to put in strict procedures to check the authenticity of the climb and the summits. These wrongdoings have to stop. However small or big and influential the expedition agency is in Nepal, if found indulging in giving fake certificates, it has to be barred," Norgay said.

Jamling Norgay, mountaineer

"My message to Narender Singh is, 'If you have not climbed Everest and you have lied to get a summit certificate then you should not have been nominated and should not get this award. If you have any self-respect or dignity left, you should not accept this prestigious award,'" Norgay said.

'It is disgusting'

Padma Bhushan awardee Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to summit Mt Everest and also the first recipient of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 1994, said, "It is disgusting that a man who has faked his summit and does not have much mountaineering experience is getting such a big honour."

Talking of her experience of being in the jury and selection committee of the same award she said, "I remember the effort I took to give my recommendations. I would just not go by the person's summit of other mountains or Everest. I also looked into other achievements. How the person performed in tough situations in the mountains, how he or she climbed. I would also talk to many other senior mountaineers and get their view."

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