ITAHARI, Oct 9: An 18-member academic expedition of Nepal Mountain Academy (NMA) has successfully scaled Nepal's tallest trekking peak, Mera Peak (6470m) at 9:48 am on Friday. The 18 summiteers include first batch students of the NMA-run first batch of Bachelor of Mountaineering Studies (BMS).

The BMS is the world's first university-run academic mountaineering course. 

''We made our first station at Khare (4900 m) which is equipped with lodging and is considered as a base camp'', said Tsering Jangbu Sherpa, the guide of the academic expedition. He added, ''We had made summit push at 3:00 am from high camp situated at 5800 meters and made it to the summit collectively at 9:48 in the morning.''

Among 18 summiteers are 12 students from BMS and 6 technical, academic and administrative personnel of NMA. Executive Director Romnath Gyawali, Director Uttam Bhattarai, Management Committee Member and guide Tsering Jangbu Sherpa, Academic Supervisor Dr. Basanta Poudel and guides duo Lakhpa Rangdu Sherpa and Hareram Khadka scaled Mera Peak together with 12 students. 

Three students, however, returned without reaching the summit, said Tsering Jangbu Sherpa, the guide. Sherpa said the NMA team was at the Mera Peak area for three weeks for theoretical and practical works of the BMS courses. 

Established on 30 May 2002, Nepal Mountain Academy started running BMS in October 2018. An 8-semester and 30-seat BMS requires both theoretical and practical approaches of mountaineering along with constant research, said  Uttam Bhattarai, the director of NMA.

(With Inputs from RSS)

 
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