Everest's South Side May Open

While China closed Everest's northern routes in Tibet to climbers this spring, it appears as though south-side expeditions, in Nepal, may get a shot at the Big E after all. Questions have been swirling around whether Nepali officials, under pressure from China to keep the mountain closed while Chinese climbers schlep the Olympic torch up and over the 29,035-foot summit, will shut down access to the mountain altogether or issue partial restriction—thus allowing expeditions to take their shot at the top. It seems the latter is the case this year: "The conditions that the Nepalese government are reported to be applying to the expeditions will keep everybody off the upper mountain between May 1-10 and this will disrupt our climbing plans to a degree and potentially lead to our summit climb being achieved right at the end of May rather than around May 20 as we normally do,” Kiwi expedition leader Guy Cotter said in a statement earlier today.
         South-side expeditions typically try to clear off the mountain by June 1, when warm temperatures and the approaching monsoons make for dangerous and unstable conditions, particularly in the Khumbu Icefall, a frozen labyrinth that tends to crumble unpredictably as temps rise. The restrictions could promote even more crowding on the south-side route this year (most climbers ascend via the South Col and Southeast Ridge), leading to traffic jams on Everest’s upper flanks. No word yet from officials as to whether they’ll limit permitting to control those numbers.
         The Everest climbing season has been troubled since earlier this month, when rioting in Lhasa (and lesser flare-ups in Nepal) prompted Chinese officials to shut down access to the peak altogether, fearing disruption to their own climbing plans and the torch relay. China has censored reports from Western media, shutting down web access to sites like YouTube and launching a propaganda campaign criticizing news reports from foreigners. China has also deemed the Dalai Lama a “terrorist,” blaming him for inciting rioting among Tibetans. Meanwhile, Tibet’s spiritual leader, who denies advocating any violence, has said that some 140 people have been killed in the recent clash. Tibetans have also protested in Kathmandu, though violence has been minimal and no deaths have been reported in association with those protesters.

—Nick Heil

Outside correspondent Nick Heil has a new book about Everest, titled Dark Summit (Henry Holt), coming out in May of 2008. He is a veteran reporter in the region and has written stories on the Himalayan Cataract Project and the use of Viagra as a possible climbing aid. During the Spring 2007 climbing season he blogged live from the mountain.

As events unfold on Everest, he will keep a running blog for Outside.

Comments

[jesse]

Here are two blogs that are following along with the Everest Base Camp Medical Clinic staff. They are in Nepal, and making their way towards Everest, taking their time as the current permit issues work themselves out. Check in to follow their progress:

sharklids.blogspot.com
www.builtforthemountainlife.com

[Pedro Morgado]

Is China running for Olympics?
Click here to see!!! ;)

http://avenidacentral.blogspot.com/2008/03/running-for-olympics.html