RI Everest climbers return to Kathmandu

RI Everest climbers return to Kathmandu

KATHMANDU (AFP): The first Indonesian team to conquer Mount Everest from the Nepalese side returned to Kathmandu on Sunday in high spirits after surviving a blizzard at the summit.

Asmujiono, 25 and Misirin, 28, were accompanied to the top of the 8,848-meter-high peak last month by two Russian mountain guides, Vladimir Bachikirov, 45, and Evgeni Vinogradski, 50, and Nepalese high altitude guide Appa Sherpa.

The five climbers reached the summit of the world's highest peak about 3 a.m. on April 26 and returned to the base camp after spending the night at 8,600 meters (28,214 feet) inside a high emergency camp.

"While climbing toward the summit around midnight, the weather was good and favorable but 10 minutes after reaching the summit, it suddenly deteriorated with strong winds blowing in and heavy blizzards starting," Appu Sherpa said.

Appu has reached Everest's summit eight times.

"We dumped our tents and five oxygen bottles at the 8,600 meter camp ... which helped save our lives," Appu said. Asmujiono described the summit experience as "my happiest and memorable moment."

"I pressed the tripod on the summit and unfurled the Indonesian flag before quickly returning to the lower camp," he said.

Misirin said he felt like a "great man" after scaling the mountain but, given the danger.

"I remembered my wife and kids," he said.

Iwan Setiawan, a third Indonesian member of the team, was disappointed because he was stopped just short of the pinnacle.

"After reaching 8,840 meters, the team physician and guide, Evgeni, stopped me from climbing further, saying it would be dangerous to ascend anymore," he said.

Evgeni said he stopped the climber because "his movement was very very slow ... every minute at that time was crucial and a question of life and death."

In autumn 1996, Clara Sumarwati, 29, of Jakarta, climbed Everest from the Tibetan side. She was the first Indonesian and the first Southeast Asian to reach the summit.