Tribune file photo Apa Sherpa, a Utah resident who has scaled Everest a record 21 times, said climbers are eager to reach the summit, so when the weather clears up they take their chances. “The window of good weather is so short that if the climbers miss it then there is a good chance they will not be able to get another chance, so they don’t want to wait and take their chances.”

Utah transplant Apa Sherpa is hiking in the Himalayan Mountains, this time to raise awareness of climate change.

The Himalayan News Service on Friday reported Apa received a warm welcome in Khandbari, Nepal, with traditional ceremonies and greetings from local officials.

From the New Service article:

The team has already walked 242-km in the last 17 days. They began their historic trek on the Great Himalaya Trail from Ghunsa — the eastern most destination of the trek — to pay respect to the conservation pioneers who lost their lives in a tragic helicopter accident back in 2006.

“The impacts of climate change can be clearly seen along the trail,” according to another team member Dawa Steven Sherpa. “It is reducing agricultural productivity and causing massive landslides threatening existing trails that are already fragile,” he added.

— Nate Carlisle

Twitter: @UtahHikes