Everest 2008: South Summits a No-Go..Nepal Compromises but Bans Summits While Olympic Torch Is Headed Up!!

Breaking News—-Breaking News—Breaking News

“Simonson says his Himalayan climbing contacts are telling him it looks
as if the Nepalese government will compromise. Climbers will be allowed
to establish base camp and climb the world’s highest peak, but they
won’t be allowed on the 29,028-foot summit while the torch is there..”

This piece is being published in the The News Tribune from Tacoma, WA today. The News Tribune is talking to Eric Simonson from IMG–International Mountain Guides–one of the bigger expedition companies to Mt. Everest.

IMG was scheduled to have both a North and South Expedition to Mt. Everest this spring season. Co-Owner of IMG, Eric Simonson is now busy trying to find out exactly what is going on, as well as try to figure out if there is even going to be an expedition–

“While the closure of the northern face is frustrating for IMG, Simonson
said his guide service stands to lose “several hundred thousand
dollars” should Nepal bow to Chinese pressure to close the more popular
southern routes.

The article goes on to state that IMG has already shipped close to 11 tons of supplies and food in to Nepal, with another shipment of 160 oxygen tanks to take place this week–

What Does This Mean?

Quintessentially, no one will be allowed to summit Mt. Everest while China is making their 2008 Olympics Torch Run. From the North (Tibet) side, looks like Everest and Cho Oyu are closed while China is there. From the South (Nepal) side, looks like Expeditions will be given the go ahead to set-up camps, acclimatize as much as possible, then await word for the North on whether China is finished with the run. My guess is that during the torch push to the summit, expeditions will not be allowed any higher than Camp 3 on the South.

MAY 10th

The mad dash commences. China has given the press the date of May 10th. That is when they expect to be finished. Last season the earliest summits began the last week of April. That gives climbers an extra two weeks on the South..to wait…and wait…

May 10th is already starting to look like a very dangerous date–this all depends on weather, of course, but if the teams from the North decide to switch sides and go the South Col Route, we could easily be looking at 4-5-6-700 people trying to mount summit pushes at one time. IMG alone stated in their article that they will have more than 50 people at their camp on the South Side–with another 20 that were expected to go up the North.

We knew this year was going to be crazy. Many of us have been planning for it since last May–little did we know how crazy it could get! It is going to be a madhouse! I will update you with more as I get it.