Plug flaws in climbing certification
The Department of Tourism (DoT) issues certifies successful summit on the basis of photos taken on the peak, and the reports of the expedition team leader and the liaison officer from DoT. But experts say there is plenty of room for manipulation in the certification process.
The controversy over an Indian couple’s ‘summit’ of Mt Everest has exposed real flaws in the process of issuing such Everest climbing certification.
Maharasthra Police’s constables Dinesh and Tarakeshwari Rathod had been widely praised for their achievement on the last week of May when images showed them unfurling banner of India and Maharasthra Police on the summit of Mt Everest. But, according to new reports, they morphed the photos of the Everest summit that they submitted to Department of Tourism (DoT) for certification of their climb. Indian mountaineer, Satyarup Siddhanta, pointed out in a Facebook post that Rathod’s photos appeared to be a crudely photoshopped version of one of his own images.
The Department of Tourism (DoT) issues certifies successful summit on the basis of photos taken on the peak, and the reports of the expedition team leader and the liaison officer from DoT. But experts say there is plenty of room for manipulation in the certification process. There is no mechanism to check whether or not the photographs submitted as proof of successful summit is genuine. Similarly, liaison officer, who is stationed in the base camp, cannot verify whether a climber actually conquered the mountain; and the expedition leader is a part of the expedition team who would do anything for team members.
Now, the DoT has started the process to make the climbing certificates issued to Rathods void. It has also started the process to take action against the Indian couple which could go to the extent of banning the couple from mountaineering activities in Nepal for 10 years. The new development came after Radhod’s expedition handler – Makalu Adventure – clarified to DoT that photographs submitted by the Indian couple seem to be morphed.
This is not the first case that Everest summit has come into controversy. In 2014, a Chinese woman reached the summit of Mt Everest by flying directly to Camp II. All climbing parties had retreated that year after an avalanche near Camp II of Mt Everest claimed the lives of 16 Sherpas. Still she walked away with the climbing certificate.
The Rathod fiasco should serve as a wakeup call for DoT. The department should plug all loopholes in the climb certification system. If people like Rathods are allowed to walk away scot-free, it will disappoint other mountaineers who spend millions of rupees and prepare for many months before going for the summit.
