Nepal has named two Himalayan peaks near Mount Everest after Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.
The peaks have been opened for foreigners to climb, just a month after a deadly avalanche killed 16 sherpa guides on Everest.
Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary arriving in Britain on 3 July 1953 after the Everest expedition. Photo: AFP
A senior official at the Tourism Ministry said the peaks - Hillary at 7,681 metres and Tenzing at 7,916 metres - were unclimbed so far.
"We believe climbers will be attracted to these peaks and help promote mountaineering activities," Tilakram Pandey told Reuters. "Many foreign Alpine clubs and climbers have shown interest in the opening of these mountains."
Last month's tragedy forced hundreds of foreign climbers to abandon their attempts on Everest, and the renaming exercise marked an attempt to revive Nepal's appeal to mountaineers.
Tourism accounts for 4 percent of Nepal's gross domestic product, and fees paid by climbers for permits are a major source of income for the cash-strapped government.
Sir Ed's son Peter said the peak named after his father was a "significant bump on a huge ridgeline" though he thought it was unlikely to attract large numbers of climbers.
"They tend to be drawn to the most significant mountains, but to be able to trek up there again as I will be in October and look up and see mountains named after Dad and Tenzing will be amazing."
Mr Hillary told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report programme he would not attempt the peak because it was very difficult and more suited to younger climbers.
Separately on Thursday, Nepal's Tourism Ministry said two Nepali guides and an Indian climber were missing in snow since Tuesday while climbing the Yalung Kang peak in east Nepal.
The conquest of Everest by Sir Ed and his Nepali guide in 1953 popularised Nepal as a destination for mountain climbers. The Himalayan country is home to eight of the 14 peaks in the world over 8,000 metres.
