Can Everest Be Closed?
It seems just this morning I wrote in a blog that I would be sharing the full deal… the Everest experience as it really is. Well, in that spirit, a new wrinkle just popped up that I was not counting on.
Everest can be climbed from the north side (from Tibet, part of China) or the south side (Nepal). Earlier in the week, China declared the north side "closed" this year… a decision related to the fact that China plans to carry the Olympic torch to the summit this year. China is concerned about Tibet related protests and, rather than run the risk of the Olympic moment being tarnished, is appearing to clear the slopes all together. Consequently, this news left many north side expeditions with the feeling that the rug had been pulled out from underneath them. The south side, controlled by Nepal (and the side our group will be going up) however was still open. There was a rule that we could not climb above Camp III prior to May 10… but that was not considered a problem as this stipulation did not interfere with our climbing plans.
Today however, more news has come in. It appears the Nepalese government is being pressured by China to implement additional restrictions that would, in practice, basically shut down the south side all together. The guiding companies are scrambling to keep the expeditions alive. Senators and embassies are involved. Climbers like me are wondering if their Everest dreams have just been shattered. If things don’t work out (we should know next week) I guess there is always Fall 2008 or possibly Spring 2009. For now, that’s little consolation; with my March 28th airline ticket to Nepal beside me, I am going to bed wondering whether or not I will actually board that flight.
More to come as soon as it is available |