Nepal is to name one of its new mountain peaks after Lord Baden Powell to ho
nour the father of the world scouts movement.
The process for naming the 5,890 meters high peak in Lamtang regn, Rasuwa district, after Baden Powell had founded the scout movement in 1807.
The mountain, which was known locally as ‘Urkema peak’, has been formally named as ’ Baden Powell Scout Peak’ after the decision to this effect was forwarded to the Council of Ministers for official announcement, according to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
The Peak was renamed to honour the memory of the late Powell on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the foundation of the scout’s movement. The renaming has taken place at the special initiatives and request of the Nepal scouts.
This mountain is among the 1,311 Himalayan mountain peaks identified so far by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. However, only 327 mountains have been opened by the Government of Nepal for mountaineering activities. Despite this, several mountain peaks are not yet visited due to some reasons related to lack of transport facilities and security. The Newly named Baden-Powell Peak is likely to be attempted for several reasons: it is in Rasuwa districts, in an area where security is granted and where transport is not an obstacle. Hence, it will draw the interest of thousands and thousands of scouts around the world, especially from 2007, the centennial birthday of Lord Baden-Powell.
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Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the Father of World Scout Movement
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As a matter of fact, the mountain would be opened for mountaineering expeditions the very day its name is officially announced. The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has also proposed a rebate in the mountaineering royalty for five years effective from the same date.
National Commissioner of the Nepal scouts, Shree Ram Lamichhane believes that this new step taken by Nepal would help a great deal in introducing Nepal to the outside world in the context of the number of scout members reaching some 35,000,000 in over 200 countries at present.
It is a matter of great honour to name an entire mountain peak after the founder of the world scout movement in its 100 year-old history, he said, adding that this would further enhance Nepal’s prestige in the international arena.
While expressing the hope that a majority of the scouts in the world would try to climb the mountain named after Lord Baden Powell at least once in their lifetime, he said the world also give a significant boost to the tourism industry in Nepal.
Ram Gopal Karmacharya, National Secretary of Nepal Scouts, expects that since climbing a mountain or a hill also constitutes one of the adventurous activities of the scouts, a lot of scouts from across the world would come to be named to the memory of their founder.
Nepal scout requested His Majesty’s Government for naming any one of the mountain peaks in Nepal after Baden Powell in accordance with a proposal endorsed at the Asia and Pacific Region Conference of the scout held last October in Daresalaam, Brunei.
So far altogether 1,311 mountain peaks, including this peak, in Nepal have been identified, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and civil Aviation has stated.
Of all the identified peaks, the number of mountain peaks opened by His majesty’s Government for mountaineering activities has now reached327 with the addition of the Urkema Peak soon to be named as the Baden Powell scout peak.
Although the government has opened such a large number of mountains for climbing purpose, many mountain peaks have not been attempted by any climbers so far due to various reasons, lack of transportation facilities being one of them.
However, the proposed new peak is said to be accessible for climbing for many reasons including the safety aspects.
Moreover, there can be no two opinions over the topic of the mountain peak renaming an icon and a subject of interest for the millions of young boys and girls involved in scouts throughout the world as it would be named after the very founder of the world scout movement that teaches discipline, self-reliance and patriotism to these boys and girls.(Source :nepalscouts site)
