March 19: After remaining closed for a year amid the Covid-19 spread, Mount Everest is set to open for visitors. According to the reports, as the tallest peak in the world will reopen, several climbers will return next month for the first time.
Mira Acharya, a Tourism Department official said that as many as or more than 300 foreign climbers will be attempting to climb as soon as the climbing season starts in April. In 2019, during the same period, there was a record of 381 climbers.
The organisers believe that the Chinese side of Everest will remain closed this year as well as it was shut last year to the foreign climbers. Moreover, this would mean that more climbers might come on the Nepal side.
Also read: Nepal imposes ban on filming, clicking pictures of others on Mount Everest
Further, Acharya stated that surprisingly this count is even though there is a requirement of 1-week quarantine along with a negative Covid-19 test certificate proving that the climber is not infected with the virus. As per the reports, the mountaineering companies would not be returning this time given different reasons.
A handful of organisers state that it is not a responsible time ‘to run expeditions’ especially when Nepal is having a weak healthcare system. However, there are some who are gearing up to lead climbers to Mount Everest.
The government officials and mountaineers claim that the peak climbing will be done by keeping strict Covid-19 protocols and health restrictions in place.
