KATHMANDU, Feb 9: Nepali mountaineer Prakash Raj Pandey successfully summited the highest peak in South America as part of his campaign to ascend the tallest peaks across all seven continents.
Pandey climbed Mount Aconcagua, located in Argentina, on February 6. He received a certificate for the successful ascent.
At the summit of Aconcagua, which rises 6,961 meters, Pandey hoisted the Nepali national flag, adorned with the Chandra-Surya symbol, at 7:50 AM local time. He also shared in a video stating that he plans to return to Nepal by next Wednesday.
As part of his Seven Summit campaign, Pandey received the national flag from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and departed for Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 21.
This marks Pandey's fourth ascent as part of the Seven Summit campaign and his 11th overall. He has been pursuing this campaign since 2022, accompanied by record-holding mountaineer Chatur Tamang.
Pandey and Tamang previously climbed Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, located in Russia. Pandey also successfully ascended Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, in Tanzania.
In Nepal, he climbed the "Killer Mountain" Manaslu and the technically challenging Ama Dablam. Despite their lower altitudes, he found the climbs extremely challenging, citing the rapidly changing weather as making them as difficult as summiting Mount Everest.
Pandey expressed his joy at raising the flags of Nepal Scout and Rotary International, along with the Nepali national flag, representing these social organizations. He also raised awareness about climate change during his expedition, interacting with local stakeholders.
He highlighted how climate change has caused unexpected damage and challenges for countries with rich biodiversity and unique geographical conditions, including Nepal. Pandey believes that his expedition will strengthen diplomatic ties between Nepal and Argentina and further promote Nepal in the adventure tourism sector in South America.
Pandey’s next goal in the Seven Summit campaign is to climb Denali, the highest peak in North America, located in the United States.
After first summiting Mount Everest in 2018, Pandey plans to continue climbing peaks across different continents, ultimately concluding his Seven Summit campaign with a final ascent of Everest in Nepal.