tourism in nepal

Everest

In 2004, two years after he climbed Mt Everest for the seventh time, American mountaineering legend Peter Athans took part in a charitable cataract operation project in northern Nepal that changed the lives of nearly 300 beneficiaries.

Today, the event has led to a stupendous discovery that, once fully understood, could throw light on one of the oldest religions in the world, its link with India and the connection between Tibetan and Zoroastrian death rites.

“I made a lot of friends during the eye camp,” says Athans, better known worldwide as ‘Mr Everest’ for his ascents as well as efforts to rescue endangered climbers during the black year of 1996, when 15 people died while attempting the world’s highest peak.

“Some of them took me to a cluster of (man-made) caves that remain hidden from the human eye due to the height and the difficulty to get inside… There was no knowledge of who created the caves and I thought this was an intriguing mystery, worthy of further research and discussion,” Athans said.