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.