Meet The People

Climbers' profile

Dawa Steven Sherpa

At the age of 23, Dawa Steven has already climbed two 8000m peaks, including Mt. Everest. Dawa Steven holds an honours degree from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, and brings fresh new ideas into the mountaineering forum. Dawa Steven's father is Nepali and his mother is Belgian, he speaks five languages.

Dawa Steven followed his parents’ footsteps to work in the travel and tourism industry. During the spring climbing season of 2007, Dawa Steven showed his entrepreneurial skills by opening and running the world's highest bakery at Everest base camp (5330m). Since working as marketing director for Asian Trekking, Dawa Steven has been involved with promoting local women's clubs, youth groups, climbing clubs as well as various environmental groups.

Dawa Steven, a Buddhist by religion, feels that businesses should not just run for a profit, but benefit everyone. Under his initiative, Asian Trekking supports cultural programmes in the Himalayan villages, organises sports competitions and promotes eco-friendly practices, such as the use of solar and wind power for expeditions’ electricity needs.

Dawa Steven is also an active campaigner in fighting climate change in the Himalayas. His Eco Everest Expedition 2008 combines mountaineering with scientific research into melting of the Himalayan glaciers.

Researchers' profile

Basanta Shrestha is head of ICIMOD’s Mountain Environment and Natural Resources Information Systems (MENRIS) Division and a technical coordinator of research component and special events for the Eco Everest Expedition. His current focus areas include climate change in the Himalayas, mountain ecosystem modeling and protected area management. He has led numerous projects and published a number of publications on issues of integrated development planning, climate change in the Himalayan, Himalayan atlas, and environment assessment and natural resources management.

Pradeep K. Mool is a member for the scientific research team of the Eco Everest Expedition. The team will monitor the Imja glacial lake and assess its downstream impact. Mr. Mool has been working with ICIMOD since 1996. Mool is with the Mountain Environment and Natural Resources Information Systems (MENRIS) division of ICIMOD as Remote Sensing Specialist.

Samjwal Bajracharya is a member of the scientific research team of Eco Everest Expedition focusing on glacial lake studies. Mr. Bajracharya has been with ICIMOD since 1999. Bajaracharya is Remote Sensing/GIS Analyst with MENRIS division of ICIMOD

Senior Advisors

Ken Noguchi, a senior advisor to Eco Everest Expedition 2008 is a famous Japanese alpinist and conservationist.

Conrad Anker, pioneering US mountaineer who has endorsed the expedition is also a senior advisor.

Reinhold Messner