Bangladeshi team starts trekking May 10

The trekkers left for Nepal yesterday with high hopes of reaching the Everest Base Camp. They will start trekking from Lukla Mountain on May 10 and are expected to reach the camp on May 19.

The Bangla Mountaineering and Trekking Club has organised the mission, sponsored by Mountain Dew, a soft drink.

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The Everest Base Camp is located at about 18,000 feet and the height of the Mount Everest is about 29,000 feet.

Usually the trekkers fall ill after climbing up to 16,000 feet, team leader Inam Al Haque said, adding that they suffer from headache, cough and sleeplessness.

One of the objectives of the adventure is to find out at what height the Bangladeshi mountaineers become ill, he said at a press conference in the city.

The other members are Sadia Sultana Shampa, a student, artist Kalidas Karmakar, journalist Musa Ibrahim, MA Muhit, Kazi Shamsuzzaman, and Golam Quddus Chowdhury, executive director, Transcom Beverage.

Golam Chowdhury, the senior-most member, said, "Although I am 63, I want to fulfil my dream of getting there."

Sadia, the only female trekker in the team, said, "I look forward to seeing more girls taking part in such adventure in future."

Sadia and Musa Ibrahim have performed excellently during a training on mountaineering in Darjeeling, Inam said.

Youngone, a Korean company, are providing necessary equipment for the mission, including special jacket, boots, carrier bags, he said.