EVEREST 2008: Nepal Holding Ongoing Negotiations With China for Mt. Everest, Close off Everest Completely in 2008?

Climbing Expedition companies were put on notice earlier his week that both Tibet and Nepal have decided not to let anyone attempt Mt. Everest until after May 10th. On the North (Tibet) side, expeditions are banned from the area until May 10th. This comes as China is preparing to ascend the world’s tallest mountain with the olympic torch. The south (Nepal) side of Mt. Everest will also be shut down from May 1-10, but at this point, climbers will be allowed to acclimate on Mt. Everest before May 1st–then return to Basecamp–then head up May 10th. A long 10 day stretch that has many teams wondering if it is even feasable to try to climb Everest, due to acclimatization issues while waiting at Basecamp.

Nepal is supposed still in an ongoing discussion with the Chinese government over how and what the climbers will be allowed to do during this 10 day stretch.

“But they say Nepal is still negotiating with interested parties on
whether the lower elevations can be accessed, and the final word is
expected to come within the next day or two.

On Friday, Nepalese
officials said China had asked Nepal to not allow climbers to scale
Mount Everest during the popular spring season. The officials, speaking
on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue,
said China had made the request last month.

China, which provides
Nepal with crucial development aid and loans that far overshadow the
millions of dollars a year from Nepal’s climbing industry. Activists
critical of Chinese policy in Tibet have unfurled banners at Everest
Base Camp in the past.

This is coming from a new article posted today by the AP. With this information, it looks like Nepal might fall to political pressure and submit to China’s request of banning climbers altogether on Mt. Everest this season.

We should have an answer to this question in the next couple of days. We can all hold our breathe.