Adverse weather puts on hold Everest expeditions

Kathmandu / May 18: Expeditions to Mt Everest have remained on hold for the last two days due to adverse weather conditions.

The climbers are unable to make the final ascents to the summit due to erratic weather pattern, the Department of Tourism said.

High winds near the peak of Everest on Tuesday and Wednesday forced the expedition teams to temporary call off their ascent attempts, Department’s Mountaineering Section Chief Gyanendra Kumar Shrestha told the media.

Many climbers are stationed at Camp 2, 3 and 4 along the trail to the top of the Everest. They will reach atop on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There are climbers waiting at the Everest Base Camp as well and preparing for the ascent.

The climbing season commenced on May 11 and continued for the next six days (until May 16). During the period, 88 mountaineers including Nepali and foreign nationals successfully scaled the highest peak in the world.

The mountaineering expeditions to the Mt Everest were cancelled in 2014 due to an avalanche and in 2015 due to an earthquake and subsequent avalanches.

A total of 432 foreign climbers from 97 expedition teams of various countries have arrived in Nepal to climb the Mt Everest among other mountains in the Himalayan Range. Among them 34 expedition teams have acquired permit to scale the Everest. RSS