Everest conqueror Babar Ali set to summit Lhotse
No Bangladeshi mountaineer has previously reached Lhotse’s peak, nor has anyone from Bangladesh conquered both Everest and Lhotse in the same expedition.
After successfully summiting the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, Babar Ali is now aiming to conquer Lhotse, the fourth-highest mountain in the world at 27,940 feet. Babar was scheduled to begin his ascent of Lhotse tonight (20 May).
No Bangladeshi mountaineer has previously reached Lhotse's peak, nor has anyone from Bangladesh conquered both Everest and Lhotse in the same expedition.
Babar became the sixth Bangladeshi to raise the red-green flag atop Mount Everest on Sunday morning at 8:30am Nepal local time. This marks the first successful Bangladeshi expedition to Everest in 11 years.
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Farhan Zaman, the chief coordinator of Babar's Everest expedition, told The Business Standard on Monday evening, "Though Babar was scheduled to leave for Lhotse on Sunday night, he did not leave. Now he is at Camp-4, eating, resting, and preparing for the new journey. Babar is healthy. If everything goes well, he will start his journey to the new target, Lhotse, [Monday night]."
A post on the Facebook page of Babar's club, Vertical Dreamers, acknowledged the risks involved, "We know there is a risk of overstaying at that altitude. Mountaineering is a risky sport. Yet, the risk of overstaying is far less than the risk of making a summit push while exhausted."
Ashraful Arefin Asif, a member of Vertical Dreamers, said, "Experience is very important in high mountain climbing. Babar has sufficient experience in mountaineering. Naturally, he would be a bit tired after nearly 16 hours of pushing. Though it is very tough and expensive staying there for an extra night, his guide advised an extra day of rest."
Babar departed for Nepal on 1 April. He arrived in Lukla from Kathmandu on 4 April and reached Everest base camp on 10 April.
Babar's journey to the top of Everest began from the base camp at midnight on 14 May. After crossing the perilous death zone of Camp-4 on 18 May, the final push to the summit started at midnight.
On Sunday morning, Babar Ali, a doctor by profession, proudly flew the Bangladeshi flag at a height of 29,031 feet.
With Everest behind him, Babar now aims to conquer Lhotse. If successful, he will set a unique record for Bangladeshi mountaineers and a significant achievement for the country.
