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A Nepalese/Bangladeshi team succeeded where 13 previous expeditions failed -- Checigo (6527m) in Nepal. This caught my attention: “I have climbed Mount Everest 10 times, but this was the most difficult peak to climb in my mountaineering experience,” expedition leader Pemba Dorjee Sherpa said. “It’s a very tough climb, the most difficult I have experienced because of its deep crevasses and knife ridges.” The team included five women, and was assembled to promote Bangladeshi tourism in Nepal.

one article here: http://tinyurl.com/25fq46v

No. The first ascent of Chekigo was made in May 2005 by SP member 7999: http://www.summitpost.org/users/7999/49212

This was reported well-enough at the time in the climbing media. This article above is yet another case of misreported ascents involving local climbers, whose nationality seems to protect them from the rigour applied to westerners. There have been two other questionable ascents in the last year or so that have largely gone unchallenged in the climbing media because no one wants to be seen to be criticising the locals.

Damien is correct. Chekigo was first climbed in'05 by Bruce Normand and Oliver Von Rotz. I am inclined to delete my post, but must first ask why a well publicized expedition such as the Nepalese - Bangladeshi one would claim a FA following a documented, undisputed previous climb of same? It would seem to only invite unnecessary controversy and ill will.

Why? I don't know for sure, but I'm sure some lame excuse will be rolled out if anything is made of it.

Sherpas have an unfortunate history of telling clients what they think they want to hear. This has caused havoc with disputed ascents of Shishapangma, Manaslu and others, and was a factor in the recent controversy over Ms. Oh on Kanchenjunga. But if a 'climber' is sufficiently stupid to need to be told by their Sherpa when they are on the real summit of a mountain that they have 'climbed' then they deserve whatever problems arise from that. The Sherpas are in it for the money, so summit bonuses don't help the situation in this regard. Happy clients tip better.

In this case it may just be sheer, possibly willful, ignorance on the part of the Bangladeshis - they don't exactly have a long and distinguished record of Himalayan climbing, so may plead naivety. The Sherpas should know better, but of course they don't. Off the popular guided climbs they work on, locals usually have a very poor idea of what has been climbed by outsiders. This has caused problems in the Karakoram quite a bit. However in this case the 2005 ascent of Chekigo is recorded in Hawley's Himalayan Database, which means it is available knowledge in Kathmandu, which means the organising agency has no excuse for letting this happen. Which once again points to willful ignorance in the name of making money.

If anyone thinks this sounds harsh, it pales in comparison to the long and disgraceful history of Indian expeditions, particularly military expeditions, making false summit claims on many of their mountains ...

Thanks for providing insight into an issue I was largely unaware of.