As the first successful all-woman team to summit Mount Everest, the nine accomplished Nepali mountaineers
are now going on to climb the tallest peaks on each of the world’s seven continents. Their mission, called
the Everest Women Seven Summits Eco-Action, seeks to not only set a world record as the largest team to do so, but is also striving to raise awareness about the urgent issue of climate change.

Receiving their national flag from the country’s Right Honorable President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav before departing from Nepal, the team members officially embarked on Monday, July 5 as they began climbing Mount Kosciuszko in Australia.

Team coordinator Shailee Basnet, who was the first female journalist ever to summit Mount Everest,
reflected on signs of the planet’s perilous state that had come to their attention in previous expeditions.

Shailee Basnet – Team coordinator, Mount Everest summiteer, vegan during expedition (F): We saw and heard from experienced climbers about the changes that were evident in the Himalayas. And in our later trips also in different parts of the country, we kept hearing about how monsoons were not the same anymore,
how the crops were being affected by unpredictable weather, and how new pests and insects were showing up
in higher altitudes. So, all this really motivated us to take the message of climate action with us.

VOICE: On this trip, the nine Nepali climbers are also striving to offset their carbon emissions by using solar lanterns and planting trees. Most of all, they have become aware that meat consumption has the largest human impact on climate change, and all nine have thus pledged to be vegan for the duration of the physically demanding tour. A vegan chef is accompanying them to prepare their plant-based meals.

Shailee Basnet (F): So we need to act now, both at individual levels, things that we can change in our lifestyle, and also at the level of government.

VOICE: Heaven bless the courageous Nepali summiteers for your dedication to these ambitious
physical and consciousness-raising goals. Wishing your journey success in bringing awareness about
global warming as well as the effective vegan solution, which ensures both personal endurance
and a cool planet for all.  

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Women+climbers+take+off+for+sky+high+record&
NewsID=248139
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/06/everest-womens-7-summit-team-goes-vegan.html
http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/may/may24/news10.php
http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2009/march/international-womens-day/everest-women-of-nepal.en