Everest After The Torch

The Chinese reached the summit and got off. They took the Olympic torch to the top of the world's highest peak on May 8th and proclaimed, "Beijing welcomes you!" Soon after, Nepalese soldiers stationed on the south side left Base Camp. While word is the north side of Everest, like the rest of Tibet, remains closed to foreigners, the south side is open.

The big wait is over. The news can shift from politics and pomp back to climbing, and there will be a lot of climbing to cover. This year, the Nepal Ministry of Tourism issued 32 permits for Everest. In recent years, they issued an average of 25. Witnesses on the mountain claim Base Camp is more packed than it has ever been. Preliminary reports suggest there are 380 to 400 climbers, 250 sherpas, and 60 staffers. All told, roughly a 15 percent increase over last year.

Climbers, now free to use satellite phones and wireless internet, report that sherpas have fixed ropes up to the South Col. "As noted yesterday, the south col Camp 4 is now fixed and our sherpa staff are now ferrying loads of oxygen up for the summit pushes," said a statement on Peak Freaks. In an earlier note, the team said two summit windows appeared promising, around May 17th or from May 21 to 23. International Mountain Guides, Alpine Ascents, Adventure Consultants, and others report their expeditions are in similar territory.

Before the mountain opened up, climbers and guides expressed two main worries. The first was that the shortened season might affect acclimatization. The second was that a packed mountain could lead to bottlenecks and increased fatalities at high altitude. Expedition sites report cooperation and special measures taken on the mountains to deal with the crowds. Sherpas fixed double ropes near Camp 3 (roughly 23,000 feet) on the Lhotse Face to prevent pile-ups.

A lot of what happened at Base Camp during the closure remains unknown. The news of a kicked out climber and reporter made international news. But how much did the torch bid really affect the health and mood of the climbers? How strict were conditions in camp? Were people able to get around the restrictions?

What will happen can not be predicted. Will people ignore careful acclimatization schedules to push for the summit? How will the resulting crowds that flowed over from the north side affect safety on the mountain? Will the overflow to Base Camp, cooperation, and mild conditions lead to a record number of summits from the south side?

Time and the weather will determine a lot. Many people may not talk until the season is finished. In the meantime, we'll track conditions on the mountain to keep you up to date. Because, though restrictions on the south side have been lifted and the troops are gone, Everest still has a history of dealing with trespassers in a harsh and unpredictable manner.

--Joe Spring