Although this isn’t necessarily enforceable by law (it suggests two things—that foreign climbers will be required to be quarantined and that they’ll be required to stay in their home country while they’re quarantined), it may make things interesting when it comes to logistics and meeting permit quotas. From our perspective, very little progress is being made. As yet, no clear decision from the Nepalese government has been issued regarding “quarantine” but it’s a topic that many of us feel is of importance heading into Everest Spring 2011. The newly enacted regulation would require climbers to spend a mandatory 21 days in isolation in either Kathmandu or Pokhara, Nepal before being allowed to attempt Everest. After Environment Minister Ananta Shakya declared the spring climbing season would begin as planned despite a prediction of the early arrival of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, that uncertainty has been diffused. Today our Dispatch from Nepal series continues with an update from the high Himalayas.
Nepal is one of the best places in the world to climb mountains and one of my favorite countries. I lived in Kathmandu for two years and summited Mt. Everest ten years ago, climbing via the mountain’s South Col route with PeakFreaks Expeditions. This human-centered, interdisciplinary field of research is focused on people from every corner of the world. Their work and interests are reflected in the content and products that enrich, enhance, and reshape our lives. The role of a researcher is to improve thinking about design problems in order to spur the creation of innovative ideas. Through rigorous investigation and inquiry, informed decision-making is improved, new knowledge is created, new technologies are created, and innovations occur. We’re pleased to now be able to say that the answer is no. In fact, after a long-running battle with the government over the issue—one that itself started last year when the Tibetan government requested Nepal enforce its policy of foreign climbers quarantining in Kathmandu—everything appears to be back on track for foreigners heading for Everest this spring. As we saw last spring, that requirement caused a lot of confusion and a drop in interest from climbers.
This spring, the climbing community was hoping for good news as Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism announced there would be no mandatory quarantine. That came as great news to many involved in expeditions headed for Everest and other peaks in the region . . . . The Times of London was reporting on Friday that Nepal would be requiring climbers to stay in Kathmandu for 8-10 days to “ensure the safety of high altitude climbers.” That report initially sparked a lot of chatter among the climbing community, but Nepalese officials quickly shot down the story, calling it “totally baseless.” While the Nepal government has stated that it intends to enforce a two-week pre-climbing quarantine for all foreign climbers in the country, what’s actually happening is that individual climbing permits are being “quarantined.” While this sounds like the same thing, there is an important difference between these two things—one that could have a significant impact on how many teams will be able to remain on schedule in the spring.“Specifically, will you require climbers who have been in Kathmandu or other parts of Nepal outside the Everest area to remain in quarantine on their way to Base Camp?
Also, will you require climbers to leave their gear behind in Kathmandu and bring the only technical gear up to BC?”The administration of Sherpa Matra Durbar, the Head District Officer (HDO) for the region, issued a letter to that effect late last week. They’re requiring all climbing teams to stay in Base Camp for at least four days before heading for Everest’s summit starting on April 26. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the Khumbu is a special place. From the Sherpa people who live here to all of the incredible peaks and ridges that stretch towards the sky, it really is an area unlike any other. That, of course, means that traveling here can be a bit different than perhaps you’re used to with backpacking and hiking on other mountains or in other areas. For this reason, where possible, we like to provide a bit of a preview of what you can expect when you go climbing Mount Everest.
Here’s what we think you need to know before heading into Nepal’s Everest region…Though it’s been through several incarnations, the blog post headline has one of its essentials—the core idea you want to get across. It’s not a particularly original idea and you make that point in the first paragraph, but that’s not really the point. The real goal is bringing across the sense of being an informed observer while offering a playful touch.
