At 85, Gorkha guns for lost Mount Everest title

Kathmandu: An 85-year-old former Nepali soldier on Wednesday exuded confidence over regaining his lost title of being the oldest climber to scale the Mount Everest as he plans to conquer the world’s tallest peak again, hoping that his feat will help spread the message of peace.

Min Bahadur Serchan, who was once the oldest climber to scale the Mount Everest, plans to scale the 8,848-meter peak this climbing season during a window of favourable weather.

“I want to be the oldest person to scale Everest again to be an inspiration for people around the world,” former Gorkha soldier Mr Serchan told reporters at his home here.

“I may be old in terms of age but I still have young courage. I will reach the peak of Everest come what may,” Mr Sherchan told reporters.

Mr Sherchan would be climbing the Everest for the cause of the world peace and to protect Earth, besides winning back the record, said his campaign coordinator Jit Bahadur Gharti Magar.

Mr Sherchan had scaled the Everest at the age of 76 in 2008 and recorded his name in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 as the oldest climber.

Five years later, his record was broken by an 80- year-old Japanese national Yuichiro Miura.

Earlier, Mr Sherchan had made an attempt to scale the Everest in 2015 but could not make it due to the avalanches triggered by the great earthquake.