KATHMANDU: The 10th Mountain Festival, organized by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), concluded on Saturday, reaffirming its role as a key platform for celebrating Nepal’s mountain tourism while promoting mountain culture, sports, and environmental conservation.

The final day featured a joint exhibition by the ALPS Swiss Alpine Museum and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, focusing on the life and achievements of renowned Swiss mountaineer Erhard Loretan, one of only three climbers to summit all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres during the 1980s and 1990s.

The exhibition was attended by Swiss Ambassador to Nepal Dr Danielle Meuwly, Director General of the Department of Tourism (DoT) Ram Krishna Lamichhane, General Secretary of the Union of Asian Alpine Associations (UAAA) Amit Chowdhury, and NMA President Fur Gelje Sherpa, among other dignitaries. Several international experts, including representatives from the International Mountain Museum Alliance (IMMA) and the Swiss institutions, joined the programme virtually.

Speaking online, Barbara Keller, Deputy Director of Exhibitions at the ALPS Swiss Alpine Museum, thanked the NMA and the International Mountain Museum (IMM) for their collaboration and expressed hope for continued partnership in the future. Professor Claude Hauser of the University of Fribourg also underlined the importance of sustained cooperation for advancing mountaineering research and museum development.

Over the three days, the festival featured documentary screenings, panel discussions, photo exhibitions, live demonstrations of mountain sports, and the felicitation of record-holding climbers.

NMA President Fur Gelje Sherpa thanked partner organizations and individuals for their support, stating that the festival not only showcased mountain culture and sports but also addressed critical environmental challenges. He expressed confidence that the discussions would contribute to the sustainable development of mountain tourism and environmental preservation.

Swiss Ambassador Dr Meuwly described the festival as an inspiring initiative that plays an important role in safeguarding mountain tourism, culture, and sports, while DoT Director General Lamichhane commended the NMA for its consistent efforts to promote and preserve Nepal’s mountain tourism.

The NMA organizes the Mountain Festival annually in observance of World Mountain Day, with the aim of promoting environmental conservation, mountain sports, and mountain culture alongside Nepal’s mountaineering achievements.