Covid Sh%tstorm at Everest Base

[ChrisB]

Interesting doings in Nepal re the pandemic.

Country is again in lockdown and evacs from Everset Base Camp are occurring.

More info at this link.

 

[TCD]

Very interesting. But at this point, it's hard to drill down to factual information, as the article suggests. It appears likely that the Nepal Government is downplaying the problem to protect tourism. Also, the sensationalist article so heavily conflates the situation in India and Nepal overall with EBC that it's hard to keep track from one sentence to the next what they are talking about. And, in the mountain environment, with all kinds of respiratory symptoms being common and a lack of testing, it's probable that no one, even expedition doctors on site, actually knows what's really going on.

After some time, maybe better information will come out.

 

[Salty]

My go-to for Everest information:
https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2021/05/02/everest-2021-will-the-everest-season-be-cancelled/

There have been climbers/porters who have been taken back to Kathmandu, who have tested positive for COVID, so it is present at BC to some degree. There is evidence the Ministry of Tourism has scared a lot of people into keeping their mouths shut for fear of retribution (no climbing permit for you next year!), as well as strongly pointing out that taking pictures of other climbers is forbidden (thus, they hope to see no Hillary Step bottleneck pictures with the 409 permits issued).

Saw a post where one group was using the day at BC to learn how to ice climb. Must have graduated from the how to wear crampons class. Pretty much always a s***show in my opinion.

 

[skiguy]

A good friend of mine whom is a world renowned climber and guide including multiple successful Everest climbs both from the South and North is on the South Col route presently. After being in touch with him in the last 24 hours he affirmed it’s an interesting season to say the least.

 

[Mike P.]

Should there have been a season? What would have the Sherpa community and the villages that have a substantial porter population done for a living? The climbing season brings in a substantial financial windfall (Coincidence that FL closed after Spring Break in 2020 and reopened just before it this year or that Sturgis went on last year?)

Starving to death has a higher death rate than covid-19. I may scoff at the small scale health facilities in some places here in the Northeast but I'd rather be in any of them Vs. being in a Covid-19 ward anywhere in Nepal.

 

[ChrisB]

A good friend of mine whom is a world renowned climber and guide including multiple successful Everest climbs both from the South and North is on the South Col route presently. After being in touch with him in the last 24 hours he affirmed it’s an interesting season to say the least.

Here is an updated article from CNN, and the news from Nepal is not good.