International
First woman atop Everest dies aged 77
First woman atop Everest dies aged 77
October 22, 2016 | 11:05 PM
The first woman to conquer Mount Everest, Junko Tabei of Japan, died aged 77, media reported yesterday.Tabei died of peritoneal cancer on Thursday at a hospital in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News said, quoting her family.She completed the first conquest of Mount Everest by a woman in 1975, accomplishing the feat via the southeast ridge route.She went on to conquer soaring peaks in several continents – Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount McKinley in the United States and the Vinson Massif in Antarctica – heralding the era of women climbers.Even after reaching the world’s highest peak, the Fukushima native continued climbing mountains at home and abroad.In an interview with AFP in 2003, she said: “I don’t have the desire to climb Everest again any more. If I had enough time and money to do so, I would rather climb other mountains that I have not attempted before.”Her last challenge was made in July when she climbed Mount Fuji, central Japan, with high school students, according to NHK.
October 22, 2016 | 11:05 PM