A group of Icelanders reached the top
The group climbed Lobuche (6119m) peak in the Himalayas. Photo/Sent to mbl.is
A group of Icelandic and Nepali female mountaineers climbed the Lobuche (6119 m) peak in the Himalayas in Nepal. The group reached the summit of Lobuche East at 7 Friday morning.
The group includes Icelanders Lukka Pálsdóttir and Soffía S. Sigurgeirsdóttir.
The mountaineers walk to raise awareness of women's situation in Nepal and the mountaineering sector. The expedition lasts until November 5. and has been named: Climb for Change: Empowering Nepalese and Sherpa Women.
The Icelanders in the group are Lukka Pálsdóttir and Soffía S. Sigurgeirsdóttir, but together with them are the mountaineers Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, Purnima Shrestha, Pasang Doma Sherpa, and Jangmu Sherpa. Composite image
Only women included
Along with them, the mountaineers Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, Purnima Shrestha, Pasang Doma Sherpa, and Jangmu Sherpa hiked with them. Since the expedition is entirely female, porters and not male porters are included.
They dedicate the trek to all girls and women who want to make their dreams come true and collect pledges for girls in the mountain community in Nepal who want to work as female mountain guides.
One of the main ways for women to gain financial independence is to participate in high-altitude tourism. Until now, it has been a man's world closed to women, but now the first women from the Sherpa clan are entering the industry and paving the way for other women.
One of the main ways for women in Nepal's mountain community to gain financial independence is to participate in mountaineering tourism. Photo/Sent to mbl.is
Human trafficking is a big problem in Nepal
"The position of women in Nepal is poor, rights and opportunities to gain education and independence are low. Human trafficking is a huge problem in Nepal, but many thousands of women are annually given or sold into human trafficking and sexual slavery.
The main reasons are poverty, the lower social status of women, and limited employment opportunities. Equality is not only a matter of justice, but an economic necessity for women and their independence," says the announcement about the expedition.
The Icelandic outdoor brand 66°Norður supports the expedition. You can support the collection here and follow the expedition on Instagram and Facebook .
