Everest 2008: China Releases New Details of Olympic Torch on Everest

China has released a few details to one of it’s own news sites in regards to how the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch will be handled on Mt. Everest. China Central Television has posted a small piece in regards to the torch, itself:

After the flame arrived the base camp four days ago, all of the torches and lanterns were passed to Chinese mountaineers, who will take them to the world’s highest peak in May when weather permits.

Captain Wang Yongfeng led his mountain climbing team to the Olympic torch safeguarding base on Tuesday at noon, and took over the repacked lanterns, torches and kindlings. At an altitude of six thousand five hundred meters and above, a special torch will be used to ensure the flame stays alight.

Hu Shenlin, Deputy Chief Designer of Torch Maintenance at Mt. Qomolangma said “We take four flame lanterns, sixteen torches, and 48 kindlings. And we also prepared enough fuel. Those mountain climbers know what to do after they reach the peak.”

Four Flame Lanterns, Sixteen Torches, and 48 bundles of kindling. This could be the basis for rumors that the Chinese were planning four separate summit pushes on Mt. Everest. Also, looking at these numbers, we can kind of get an idea of just how large this expedition is. Not sure if I would want to be following the twenty or so climbers carrying the Lanterns and torches–with Oxygen strapped to their backs. Could become quite tricky, especially when the high winds are added into the mix and climbers will be jockeying around to keep that flame burning. We know they succeeded last year on Everest with their pre-Olympic torch run, but we also all know that Everest is quite a different mountain year to year.