Albanians’ Everest climb in an exhibition

TIRANA, Jan. 31 – More than 100 pictures featuring the courageous endeavour of an Albanian team of climbers to Mount Everest last year are being shown in an exhibition at the FAP gallery of the National Arts Gallery in Tirana.
“The same as climbing the Everest, taking pictures on the way to the Everest summit was very dangerous. One of our team mates nearly lost his hand because of wanting to take some more pictures,” says climber Fatojon Plaku, also the organizer of the exhibition.
A documentary and the equipment and clothing used to climb the Everest are also part of the exhibition which will remain open until February 3.
On May 25, 2012, an Albanian team of climbers became the first to raise the national flag on the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest as an initiative commemorating the 100th anniversary of Albania’s independence.
The Albanian climbers had already climbed the Mont Blanc and Kilimanajaro summits before deciding to take the risk of climbing the world’s highest peak at 8,848 metres above the sea level located in the Himalayas on the Nepal-China (Tibet) border.
Albanian Everest Expedition Team members Gjergji Bojaxhi, 38, Xhimi Begeja, 47, Gerti Pishtari,25, Fation Plaku, 36, Erlin Rudho, 23, and Etheo Begeja,18, the youngest in team climbed the Everest Top with the support of Mountain Monarch team of sherpas. The Albanian Expedition Team made another achievement of second time father & son ( Xhimi Begeja, and his son Etheo Begeja) climbing the Everest together in the history of Everest Climbing.