China confirms Clara's feat

JAKARTA (JP): Clara Sumarwati, the first Indonesian and Southeast Asian woman to reach the 8,848-meter summit of Mt. Everest, has received a certificate from The Mountaineering Association of The Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.

The certificate reads "This is to certify that on September 26, 1996 Miss Clara Sumarwati (Indonesian) has reached the altitude of 8,848.13 meters above sea level on an expedition to Peak Quomalong Ma of Mount Himalaya."

A fax of the certificate was released to the media yesterday in order to counter any doubts that Clara had not actually reached the peak on her own. Skeptics said that Kaji Sherpa, the most acclaimed Himalaya guide, had dragged Clara to the peak. (arf)