The Indian who falsely claimed to have climbed Mount Everest really climbed the peak

The Indian who forged the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, has indeed reached the summit.

According to the AFP news agency, Narendra Singh had claimed to have reached the top of the 8,849 meter high mountain in May 2016.

But the summit was later told that the photos of the 26-year-old were later digitally converted, forcing the Nepalese government to revoke the identity of his accomplice.

Yadav and two other climbers were banned for six years in 2016 and will be able to climb the mountain again this year.

"Climbing Mount Everest is a dream for all of us but it is a life for me, I had a lot of accusations, so I had to prove myself and climb Everest," Yadav told AFP on Friday.

Yadav says he had reached the top but that the head of the campaign had changed his pictures and posted them on social media after he was nominated for India's prestigious Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award in 2020.

"After the award was stopped, it was very painful for me and my family," he said.

The ban was lifted on May 20. He left for the campaign seven days later, this time with enough photos and videos to prove his point.

"After presenting ample evidence of the summit, we gave it a certificate on Wednesday," said Bishma Raj Bhattarai, an official with Nepal's tourism department.

Pemba Rita Sherpa, a guide with Pioneer Adventure, the organizer of the campaign, said that instead of the usual routine, two guides came with her to make sure there were no fights.

"We took a lot of pictures and videos of him, we have to say what is real, it is a matter of our Sherpa's reputation and the company's reputation," he said.

Successfully climbing Mount Everest is considered to be the greatest achievement of any climber's career.

The current verification system requires photographs with reports from team leaders and government liaison officers stationed at base camps, but there is still the potential for fraud.

An Indian couple was banned for 10 years in 2016 for posting fake photos of Mount Everest.