Officials deny closure report on reserve at Qomolangma

LHASA — Authorities in the Tibet autonomous region have denied an online report of the “permanent closure” of Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve.

The announcement came after the report went viral, claiming the base camp of the world’s highest mountain was “permanently closed due to heavy pollution”.

Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve, created in 1988, covers more than 33,800 square kilometers and is home to one of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

Kelsang, deputy director of the reserve’s administration, said ordinary tourists are allowed to visit areas around Rongpo Monastery, almost 5,000 meters above sea level. Kelsang, like many in the region, uses one name.

Travelers with a climbing permit can go to the base camp, which is at 5,200 meters. Mountaineering activities are approved by the regional forestry department.

To conserve the environment surrounding Mount Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West, China carried out three major cleanups at an altitude of 5,200 meters and above last spring. Eight metric tons of household waste, human feces and mountaineering trash were collected. Cleanup will continue this year.

The number of people allowed at the base camp at any one time will be kept under 300.

There are 85 wildlife protection workers in the reserve, and 1,000 herders have part-time jobs patrolling and cleaning up garbage.

“These measures aim to strike a balance between various demands such as environmental protection, local poverty relief, mountaineering and education,” said Wang Shen, chief of Dingri county at the foot of the mountain.