During the meeting on Wednesday, Kerry congratulated the team, and said the women who call themselves “the Seven Summits Women Team” were “inspirational”. The Nepali women climbers are visiting Washington DC and Los Angeles from July 16 to 23 to promote women’s empowerment, education and environmental awareness.

Regarding the team’s epic world travel that has seen them conquer six out of the seven highest mountains in seven continents, Kerry said, “I’m jealous”. He further said he cannot manage time off work for something like that, while enquiring about Mt Everest’s route details.

When the team extended an invitation to him to visit Nepal and experience the Himalayas, Secretary Kerry said visiting Nepal has long been his dreams and he hopes to come on a Nepal visit before the end of his term.

Charge de Affairs of Nepal Embassy in the US Rishi Ram Ghimire, US Ambassador to Nepal Peter Bodde and high level officials from the department, including US Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues Catherine Russell, were present at the meeting.

“Kerry along with the State Department officials remarked that the team is inspirational and the world needs more examples like this, which is a great encouragement for us,” said Shailee Basnet, team coordinator.

The team is currently on a week-long exchange programme with the State Department where they will be meeting high level government officials and non-profits working in the area of education, empowerment and environment. Prior to the event, the team was in Alaska climbing the sixth mountain of their mission, Mt Denali, the highest mountain in North America.