Covid 19 Nepal: Veteran Everest operators scrap Spring climbing season
13 May, 2021 09:14 PM
5 minutes to read
1000-tent city: South Everest base camp in Nepal has welcomed a record number of climbers. Photo / Jason Maehl, Getty Images
1000-tent city: South Everest base camp in Nepal has welcomed a record number of climbers. Photo / Jason Maehl, Getty Images
Thomas Bywater is a writer and digital producer for Herald Travelthomas.bywater@nzherald.co.nz@ThomasBywater
New Zealand s most experienced Everest tour operators decided to scrap their mountaineering season amid operational difficulties and concern over a growing Covid 19 outbreak in Nepal.
Guy Cotter of Adventure Consultants says that in spite of demand, the company felt it would be irresponsible to run an expedition there.
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A team of 21 Chinese mountaineers is currently making the ascent, according to
South China Morning Post. The head of the Tibetan Sports Bureau told Xinhua that they were “working on the details of how to build that line.”
BBC stated that over 30 climbers with COVID-like symptoms have recently been evacuated from the Nepalese camps.
Hospitals in Kathmandu confirmed 17 cases of COVID-19 among those evacuated. There is no COVID-19 testing facility at the Nepalese Everest base camp, despite calls for one to be set up.
Chinese nationals must obtain special permits to climb Everest from the Chinese side, and foreigners are currently not permitted.
2021-05-10 09:05:55 GMT2021-05-10 17:05:55(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
BASE CAMP, MOUNT QOMOLANGMA, China, May 10 (Xinhua) China is taking strict measures to prevent COVID-19 infections on Mount Qomolangma, and has reported zero infections so far on the north side of the mountain since the climbing season began in early April.
Officials spoke to Xinhua at a recent anti-epidemic meeting held at the mountain s base camp, where Tibet s regional sports bureau and the local government jointly discussed the situation at the world s highest peak at 8848.86 meters along the China-Nepal border.
21 expedition permits have been issued this year on the north side of the mountain, all to Chinese citizens. According to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA), no foreign nationals have been allowed into the Qomolangma area since the outbreak began last year.
China is taking strict measures to prevent COVID-19 infections on Mount Qomolangma, and has reported zero infections so far on the north side of the mountain since the climbing season began in early April.
Officials spoke to Xinhua at a recent anti-epidemic meeting held at the mountain s base camp, where Tibet s regional sports bureau and the local government jointly discussed the situation at the world s highest peak at 8848.86 meters along the China-Nepal border.
21 expedition permits have been issued this year on the north side of the mountain, all to Chinese citizens. According to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA), no foreign nationals have been allowed into the Qomolangma area since the outbreak began last year.