Nepal today honoured six mountaineers, including three foreigners, to mark the diamond jubliee celebration of the first ascent to Mt Manaslu and Lhotse.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari fecilitated three foreigners including Japanese Higeta Minoru, one of the first persons to climb Mt Manaslu and three Nepalese climbers.
Minoru, is the only surviving member of the first successful expedition to Mt Manaslu (8,156 m), that scaled the peak on May in 1956.
Other two climbers who were felicitated include Ted Atkins from the UK and Billy Bielerger from Germany.
Three Nepalese climbers, who were felicitated today include Pertemba Sherpa, Pemba Norbu Sherpa and Mingma Sherpa.
Junko Tabei from Japan, the first female Everest summiteer, was also felicitated by Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation's acting chie Badri Tamang at a separate function.
The celebration was aimed at revamping Nepal's tourism industry, which was badly hit by the last year April's devastating earthquake.
"We wanted to convey the message that Mt Everest, Manaslu, Annapurna and other major mountains and trekking routes are safe and we welcome international visitors and adventure seekers in the mountains, said Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of NepalMountaineering Association.
Mt Lhotse has an altitude of 8,516 metre.
"Over the past 60 years, 1067 climbers have scaled Manaslu peak and 604 have scaled Lhotse and we will honour all 1671 climbers," Sherpa said.
