On top of the world in Kathmandu

Four of the 10 mountaineers – (from left) Dawa Tenjin Sherpa, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, Pem Chhiri Sherpa and Nirmal Purja – enjoying their heroes’ welcome in Kathmandu after becoming the first to summit Pakistan’s K2 mountain in winter. — Photos: AFP

Nepali mountaineers who conquered one of the world’s most treacherous peaks returned home to a rapturous welcome, with cheering supporters hailing their first-ever winter summit of K2 as a triumph for their Himalayan nation.

Their ascent in mid-January of the world’s second-highest mountain – the notoriously challenging 8,611m “savage mountain” of Pakistan – shone a much-deserved spotlight on their own climbing prowess.