I read with interest Dr Harka Gurung's "To Climb Or Not To Climb (#27). I agree with most of what he says about Machhapuchhre, but there is one nagging question: "Is it really necessary to open up this peak for climbing?" It may not be a holy mountain or a mountain of much importance to the people who live under it, but letting mountaineers climb all over it just because "it is there" is not justifiable. Wouldn't it be better to keep at least one peak virgin so we can point to it and say: "That is one of the few peaks that has never been climbed"?
And I doubt whether the fees accruing from climbing permits for Machhapucchre will contribute to our national development in a big way. As it is, we already have so many higher peaks with larger fees opened for expeditions. It would be wiser to wait and leave it to a future generation of Nepalis to decide on this matter. Our generation has done enough damage by selling our mountains to the highest bidders. Is money more important to us than our national pride? Let us take pride in the little that we have left, and let the next generation thank us for it. As it is, they have so little to be thankful for.

Narendra Pradhan
Baneswor