6 Years After ‘Fake’ Everest Conquest, Indian Mountaineer Proves A Point

Kathmandu: In a story of fierce determination to redeem himself, an Indian mountaineer successfully conquered Mount Everest six years after faking ascent to the world’s highest peak.

It was in May 2016 that Narender Singh Yadav claimed to have reached the summit of the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) Mt Everest.

But pictures of Narender atop Everest were later shown to have been digitally altered. The Nepal government not only revoked recognition of his Everest ascent, but also slapped a six-year ban on Narender and two other climbers with effect from May 2016.

Narender’s ban ended on May 20. Within seven days, he was on the summit — with irrefutable evidence of photos and videos.

Narender claims he had actually reached the Everest summit in 2016, but the expedition leader doctored his images and posted them on social media after he was nominated for the prestigious Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award in 2020.

The award was withheld and he was banned. From that day, Narender wanted to prove a point.

“Everest is a dream for all of us but Everest is life for me… There were a lot of allegations against me, that’s why I had to prove myself and climb Everest,” AFP quoted Narender as saying.

Pemba Rita Sherpa, a guide, said that two of them accompanied Narender instead of the usual one to ensure there were no disputes this time.

“We took many photos and videos of him… We have to speak what is real. It is about our sherpas’ reputation and our company’s reputation,” Pemba said.