Beijing to create ‘line of separation’ on Everest
China will set up a “separation line” on Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, to prevent transmission between climbers after a cluster of Covid-19 cases was reported at a base camp in neighbouring Nepal.
The mountaineering management bureau of the Tibet autonomous region and local authorities said strict measures would be in place for the 2021 climbing season to prevent Covid-19 infections, according to state news agency Xinhua.
“Because the northern and southern routes of ascent are different, there’s no infection risks there. The most important focus for preventing transmissions will be at the summit,” Nimaciren, head of the Tibetan autonomous region’s sports bureau, was quoted as saying.
The official said that before commercial climbers began the last push to the summit, a small team of Tibetan guides would go ahead to set up the line and prevent contact with climbers from the Nepal side. Contact with items left by those from the other side, such as the traditional ceremonial scarf khata, will also be banned, according to Nimaciren.
“Our guides and climbers will be wearing one-piece climbing suits, mountaineering goggles and oxygen masks. This gear can act as protection [against the virus],” the official was quoted as saying.
The summit was less than 15 square metres and climbers typically remained for just 20 minutes or so, mountaineer Fergus White said. It was not clear how the Tibetan guides would set up the separation line in the area.
Xia Boyu, China’s first double amputee mountaineer to reach the summit of Everest, said the risk of infection would be very low.
“Everyone up there will be wearing an oxygen mask and in a one-piece climbing suit with very little surface exposed,” Xia said.
“This is mostly precautionary. I don’t think it is feasible to really set up a physical partition up there. More likely the guides will separate the mountaineers from the two sides and make sure that they don’t mingle.”
Beijing has only approved 38 people to climb Mount Everest this year, with a team of 21 climbers already en route to the summit from the northern side, Xinhua reported.
The announcement comes as Nepal is in the grip of a Covid-19 outbreak, reporting more than 8,700 cases on Sunday.*