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.
>>The only way Iranians will be on top of the world.
this is an individual feat of honor. iran is merely along for the ride.
kudos to the lot of them.
"ou are right!
Most people in the west think that Iranians are genuine muslims which is untrue!
Iranians are Pork loving people who are more secular than any other nation in the middle east!"
Yup, true. And it should be noted as FYI, though I think most people know, that the Iraians are Persians and NOT Arabs.
Bones
Women's rights in Iran Ping! (Seems like a statement to me)
One wonders what their respective views on the mullahs of their country are.
Two Iranian women conquer mount Everest..the men in their families are ashamed and humiliated...I see two honor killings in their future(sarcasm on)!
That was my thought, too - I sure hope these two accomplished women won't be the victims of "honor" killings from depraved male family members. While summiting Everest would seem to be worthy of great honor in most of the world, to Islamo-fascists it's probably outrageous for women to do so....
Two Iranian Women Conquer Mount Everest
Mullah's tell them to come back down or else !
Oh really.... why the wink? Did you think that remark was humorous? Well, I didn't. Take it back...
Persian Women RULE!!!!!
Most REAL Persian men will admit that.
Muslim women to conquer Mt Everest
It was a joke, sheesh!
The literary device I employed is called "humor". So simple is it to extract laughter from a reader by using "humor" that even those of lofty erudition who employ it may appear of rather lesser intellectual accomplishment in so doing.
I assume that you employed the same device in your response to me. If I am mistaken, then get lost.
Impressive! My brother will attempt Mt. Everest this fall. The family is extremely concerned. I'm going to forward this article to him. It will further his resolve to conquer Mt. Everest!
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