Purnima Shrestha becomes first Nepali woman to scale Mt Dhaulagiri

MYAGDI: Purnima Shrestha has become the first Nepali woman mountaineer to stand atop Mount Dhaulagiri, world’s eighth highest peak.

Shrestha, a photo journalist by profession, scaled the 8,167 metre peak located at Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4 in Myagdi district at 5 am on Friday.

Shrestha and her team comprising 19 members had left for Mt Dhaulagiri on September 18 from Marpha of Mustang district under the management of Seven Summit Trekking Company, Kathmandu.

“This is the first ascent to Mt Dhaulagiri by a Nepali woman. Prior to this, there is no record of Nepali women climbing the peak,” proprietor of Seven Trekking Company Mingma Sherpa said.

Sherpa, however, said that it is yet to be confirmed whether Maya Sherpa and other members of the expedition team reached the top of Mt Dhaulagiri.

Shrestha had already climbed world’s tallest peak Mt Everest, Mt Manaslu and Mt Amadablam and Mt Annapurna-I.