Posted on 06/01/2005 2:24:08 PM PDT by nuconvert
Two Iranian Women Conquer Mount Everest
Jun 1, 2005
Two Iranian women made history when they became the first Muslim women to conquer Mt Everest, the tallest peak in the world.
Farkhondeh Sadegh, a 36-year-old graphic designer, and Loleh Keshavarz, 26, a dentist, added a new chapter to the history of mountaineering when they climbed the 8,848 m peak Monday.
They climbed the peak from the southern side through Nepal around 10.45 a.m. as part of the 21-member Iranian 2005 Everest Expedition.
It was an especially heady triumph for Iran as besides bagging the honour of sending the first Muslim women's team to the top of the world, it notched up the performance of its male climbers who had last accomplished the feat in May 1998.
According to Nepal's tourism ministry, after days of bad weather and thundering winds, 46 climbers from nine teams were finally able to summit the peak Monday, led by an American, Guillermo Benegas.
The Iranian expedition sent 12 members to the summit, including four Sherpas from Nepal acting as their high-altitude guides and porters.
The first successful Iranian summiteers, according to the press statement issued by the ministry, are: the 51-year-old team leader, Alpinist Eghbal Aflaky Aghbelagh, Mahmed Shoaei, a 43-year-old engineer, Azim Ghechisaz, 24, Reza Bahadorani, a 27-year-old jewellery seller and the two women.
Later, a second group in the team headed by Miroslav Caban succeeded in sending two more members up -- Reza Zarei Toudeshici and Jalal Cheshmeh Ghasabani.
It is possible that some other women from the team could summit the peak as well since there are at least five more women climbers in the team. Further details are likely to come in this week.
Last year, the Iran Mountaineering Federation invited applications from climbers for the Everest expedition, prompting 69 to apply.
The applicants were subjected to gruelling fitness tests and 14 women were chosen, to be whittled down further to seven.
The money needed for the climb -- $400,000 - was reportedly raised from the private sector.
The women climbers, who braved avalanches and tension caused by the death of three mountaineers, had said they would keep their head scarves on.
Sadegh has been climbing for more than 10 years and also trained on Mt Pumori in Nepal. This is her second visit to the Himalayan kingdom.
Iranian imperialists! ;)
I assume they were wearing Gore-Tex burkas.
pong
Bravo! Amazing accomplishment.
The only way Iranians will be on top of the world.
So, will it now be a muslim holy site?
Pretty cool.
"So, will it now be a muslim holy site?"
No these were women. They don't count as holy in Islam.
I doubt it!
PING
...And then they promptly detonated themselves killing the American team that summited just moments before...
Must have taken twice as long as normal with having to drop and pray 20 times a day. Tough to spread out that prayer rug on a 60 degree slope I'd imagine.
"...And then they promptly detonated themselves killing the American team that summited just moments before..."
I think you've got the regular Iranian people mixed up with the Muslim head-choppers who run that country. The Iranian people are just a regular people who wan't freedom. They actually would appreicte liberation alot more than the Iraqis seem to.
(Though I realize many Iraqis do value it.. but it's about time they stand up and fight for it)
did Al invent those as well?
I forgot. They don't count at all.
Oh, sure, pick the easy side!
You brat! :)
Iranians are Pork loving people who are more secular than any other nation in the middle east!
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