"I took this picture outside a sculptor's studio in the Chao Yang artist's colony in central Beijing last Summer. How appropriate it now seems," wrote an ExWeb contributor (click to enlarge).
Lithuanian team in KTM before departure for Dhaulagiri - except for the leader; most technically skilled climbers but new to the 8000+ experience.
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Everest and Himalaya wrap-up: China's iron fist
Posted: Apr 17, 2008 01:20 pm EST
(MountEverest.net) "China is starting to scare me," an American adventure news colleague wrote to ExWeb yesterday. The country has managed to impose an iron-fist censorship on international climbers even outside of its own borders, on a mountain owned by Tibet and Nepal.
The Olympic torch not even close to the south side of Everest; climbers' computers, phones and cameras are already locked up - and their safety radios are eavesdropped. Climbers are not allowed to mention China and Tibet to each other, tents are subject to searches, and trekkers can't bring cameras to BC.
In the news
Although they said they wouldn't (after protests were raised), turns out they did all along: yesterday Chinese media reported that a blacktop road to Everest BC has been completed.
Germany's Audi AG said Wednesday that it is scaling down a planned PR campaign featuring its new sports utility vehicle on Mount Everest because of the political turmoil surrounding the Tibet leg of the Olympic torch relay. "We don't want to throw oil onto the fire," an Audi source said according to Earthtimes news source.
Audi still stays on board as the main sponsor of the torch relay though and some critics feel mountaineers, athletes, politicians and financial investors can serve themselves for looking to their own interests only.
Comedy Central ran a funny but poignant interview with a "woman climber" on the Today Show yesterday. "Yes I'm worried about the situation in China," she said, “well, not so much about the situation in Tibet it's just that I really need a Sherpa for my expedition to the I-don't-care-mountain!"
Everest latest
Reports from Everest state that yesterday the Nepalese Army actually searched all camps confiscating satellite phones, VHF radios, pda's, computers, video cameras etc. Question is if that is legal without a warrant in Nepal.
For most mountaineers, climbing Everest is the adventure of their life and not all are rich. Some have mortgaged their homes, others have taken loans and many have invested in technology to stay in touch with family, friends, schools and youth programs. Now, they are not allowed to even snap pictures in BC.
Nepal's fishy election
All climbers ExWeb spoke to over the past two days agree something is fishy in the recent Nepal election.
As for ground-reports, Piotr Pustelnik, whose team now has reached Annapurna Base Camp, reported on April 10 (election day): "Kathmandu looks very different today from what it's usually like: it's almost like a ghost town. I've taken a few unique photos in Thamel and the city centre - unique because the place is virtually empty. There are few people walking around, mainly tourists, and there are hardly any cars except those belonging to foreigners or the Red Cross...the atmosphere in the city today isn't tense but rather sober."
Piotr's report was seconded by Brazilians Waldemar and Irivan who landed in Kathmandu 5 days later, on Tuesday (15th). Instead of the Nepali New Year’s celebrations, Waldemar reported a curbed city:
“This climate of apprehension is due to the pressure put by the Maoists on Nepal’s people," the climber wrote. "The Maoists threatened to take retaliation against the people in case they lost the elections. Fear spread among the population and thus the Maoist party has obtained a majority of votes on the polls.”
Who are the new liaison officers in BC?
An obvious question mark is Nepal's relations with China. Two days back Peak Freaks reported that they discussed in Everest BC the new regulations with an un-named chief Liaison officer - an Everest climber himself.
You might recall this story: Apa Sherpa patrolling Everest? New rules for liaison officers in Nepal
On March 6th this year (4 days before the Everest north side ban) ExWeb reported that Nepal was to allow Everest summiteers to work as liaison officers (instead of the former non-climbing government officials). Wangchu Sherpa, president of Everest Summiteers Association, recommended 28 Everest summiteers for the task, Apa Sherpa among them. At least five Everest summiteers would start the new career this spring.
The move reportedly came in response to a request from both mountaineers and "mountaineering experts."
However, without climbing officers the recent climbing ban on Everest south side would have been hard to enforce. It's more likely that Nepal and China had their plan laid out all along for the peak. The source for the ExWeb report was in fact not Nepal but Chinese Xinhua.
Links to teams on Everest and Himalaya:
The "Climbers Without Borders" Everest 2008 hotline allows climbers, their relatives and friends to report anonymously from the mountain. Pls call (1) 206-666-2407 (from a sat phone pls dial 001-206-666-2407). State your name and message (your name will be withheld).
Everest
Canadian Mallory
Irish Everest/Graham and Ian
Klimb for kids/Tim Warren
James Balfour
No guts know glory/Rob Hill
Lee Farmer
Peak Freaks
Adventure Peaks
IMG
Alpine Ascents
Adventure Consultants
Summit Climb
Alaskan Granite
Danish Everest
Cordoba Everest
Nepalese 77 year old
Eco Everest/Dawa Sherpa
Coldfeat Fiennes/Cool
Mountain Madness
Jagged Globe
Lincoln Hall rescuers Andrew Brash, Myles Osborne and Dan Mazur
Miura senior (Japanese)
Alan Arnette
David Tait
Rodrigo Raineri (Vitor Negrete's mate) and Eduardo Keppke (no 02)
Latvia:Atis Plakans (leader), Liga Plakane, and Kaspars Klapkalns
Gnaro's Share Everest
www.marcoconfortola.it
Andalusian Lina
www.stephan-keck.at
Keck at www.alpinist.at
Francois Guy Thivierge
OTHER HIMALYA
Makalu
UK Royal Navy
Waldemar Niclevicz and Irivan Gustavo Burda
Andrew Lock
French Makalu
Santiago Quintero
Blair Falahey
Joao Garcia
Spanish paper covering Lolo Gonzales
Andalusia/Basques and Lolo Gonzales dispatches
Manaslu
Dutch team expedition website
Katja Staartjes
Menno Boermans
Amical
Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri west face Babanov/Nick Totmjanin
Martin Minarik
Radek Jaros and Zdenek Hruby
Kinga and Kasia
Gerlinde
Carlos Pauner, Javier Perez and Marta Alexandre
Ivan Vallejo
Edurne
Polish Dhaula with Artur Hajzer and Ryszard Pawlowski
Himalaya Maestrat
Lithuanian expedition
Annapurna
Inaki Ochoa
Horia Colibasanu
Don Bowie
Piotr Pustelnik's dispatches
Peter Hamor's website
Piotr Morawski's website
Radek Jaros and Zdenek Hruby
Ueli Steck
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