Nineteen- time Everester Nima Sherpa missing on mountain

Kathmandu : Chhewang Nima Sherpa, who planned to make maximum number of Everest summit, has been missing after an avalanche near the Mount Baruntse peak in the Nepalese Himalaya, mountaineering sources said on Monday.

Nima, who already made 19 times to the world’s tallest peak and was looking to surpass Appa Sherpa’s 20 ascent atop Everest (8848 mts) disappeared after an avalanche while fixing ropes at 7,045 metres guiding a private expedition trying to reach the 7,129 metre peak.

The Nepalese tourism said a chopper would now join in the search for him on Monday if high winds died down.

A first search party on Saturday failed to trace him.

Jiban Ghimire, of the Sherpa Shangri-la Treks and Expedition, the firm which organised the expedition, said Nima was on the north slope of the mountain fixing the ropes when he was knocked over and down the north-east slope by the avalanche.

Ghimire hoped that Nima’s skills and experience may keep him alive on the death zone.