Everest conqueror’s gift for Obama KATHMANDU: Pemba Dorje Sherpa, the fastest Mt Everest climber, has a special gift for US President Barack Obama when he meets the latter at the White House next month. He will gift a piece of rock to Obama. The gift has been sourced from the Mt Everest base camp. “My US visit starts on November 7. But the date for my meeting with the US President is yet to be fixed,” said Sherpa. The ace mountaineer came across several water bodies in the base camp, which is situated at an altitude of 5,400 metres. While, the first and second camps are at 6,000 m and 6,500 metres, respectively. He recounted that the ascent had become easier much easier as compared to a decade ago. “We had to use special ice boots. But now we can easily climb with our sports shoes on till about 6,500 metres,” he said. Sherpa, who has climbed the Everest as many as 10 times, made it to the summit at a record eight hours and 10 Why did it take Tenzing Sherpa and Edmund Hillary to reach atop the Mt Everest in 10-15 days? “We’re now doing the same stretch in 10-15 hours. This is largely because of the impact of climate change, which has resulted in retreating mass of ice in the higher altitudes,” An avid environmental crusader, he will also hand over the photographs of the higher reaches of the Himalayas, along with a banner, which has 350 messages on the side effect of global warming. Dipendra Bhattarai, a climate change activist, explained its significance. “The world will observe October 24 as the day of 350. It means that the developed countries should decrease the concentration of carbon dioxide to the level of 350 parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere. At present, the figure stands at 380 ppm,” he added. Sherpa, who met Australian PM Kevin Rudd on September 13, urged him to cut the green gas emission. “He assured me that he would look into the issues and raise them at global fora. I shall make a similar request to the US President as well,” Sherpa added.