QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The
Olympic flame's first trip to Mount Qomolangma looks just a stone's throw as
Zhang Zhijian, spokesman for the Chinese Mountaineering Team, re-confirmed on
Wednesday that the Beijing Olympic flame will be taken to the world's highest
peak by the traditional climb route along the north slope.
It came six days after Sun Bin, chief of the Olympic
Torch Relay Center Qomolangma Operations Team, made the same confirmation.
Graphics shows the list of mountaineers
forming the team that will be accompanying the Beijing Olympic flame up
Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua Photo/Ma Yan) Photo
Gallery>>>
The
Beijing Olympics torch relay is the longest and most ambitious ever planned,
traveling 137,000 kilometers across five continents in 130 days. One of the
highlights in its global journey is the ascent of the flame over the world's
highest mountain which spans Nepal and southwest China's Tibet Autonomous
Region.
"Anything can happen at any time," said Shao Shiwei,
deputy director of the communications department of the Beijing Organizing
Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG).
The traditional and classic route used by most of the
climbers starts from the Base Camp with an altitude of 5,200 meters above sea
level, then heads for the Advance Base Camp, known as ABC, at 6,500 meters. It
then winds upwards the summit with help of three more camps respectively at
7,028, 7,790 and 8,300 meters before scaling the top of Mt. Qomolangma.
According to Sun, there are about 20 routes reaching
the top of Mt. Qomolangma, but the traditional route upon the north slope is
among the safest ones.
There are 28 km between the 5,200-meter-high Base
Camp and the 6,500-meter-high ABC, and from the ABC, there are 20 km to the top.
"The snowfall several days ago had some impact upon
the ascent, now our climbers are busy fixing the damaged facilities," said
Zhang. "Yesterday, I heard that they have fixed the 7,790-meter-high camp, but
I'm not sure whether or when they will take further action."
"If the weather looks good all the time these days, I
think I will bring you good news as soon as possible," added Zhang.
After two days' snowfall, the Himalayas welcomed the
third consecutive nice day on Wednesday, with warm sun shining and wind blowing
softly. Some experienced mountaineers said if everything progresses well the
climbers can reach the top of the mountain within four days.
Zhang also said the Chinese Mountaineering team has
been talking about the selection of the climbers who will take the final assault
from the 8,300-meter-high camp to the top.
"We are discussing the final selection but it is
still up in the air," he said.
There are 28 km between the 5,200-meter-high Base
Camp and the 6,500-meter-high ABC, and from the ABC, there are 20 km to the top.
Zhang has named a 36-strong team one day earlier,
including 24 ethnic Tibetans, 10 Han Chinese, one from Tu ethnic group and one
from Tujia ethnic group, but apparently not everyone stands the chance of
scaling the top of Mount Qomolangma.
"Mountaineering requires cooperation and carrying the
Olympic torch to the top as well makes it much tougher, so the torchbearers need
to be physically and mentally strong, and willing to sacrifice personal profits
for the holy cause," he said.
"Besides, we consider the ethnic group and gender."
The team, with an average age of 30.2, includes three
women climbers.
The Chinese Mountaineering Team has scaled Mount
Qomolangma successfully for more than ten times since 1960.
According to a scientific measurement in 2005, the altitude of Mount Qomolangma is 8844.43 meters, 3.70 meters lower than the figure obtained in 1975.
Graphics shows the route on the north slope along which the Beijing Olympic flame is to be carried to Mt. Qomolangma.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
MT. QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet, May 6 (Xinhua)
-- China has stepped up preparation for the Olympic flame's ascent of Mount
Qomolangma as the squad to carry the flame atop was announced on Tuesday at a
press conference held in the Qomolangma media center which is 5,040 meters above
sea level. Full story
MT. QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet, May 5 (Xinhua)
¨C Mountaineers are eagerly awaiting the Olympic flame's ascent of Mount
Qomolangma and have expressed their confidence in the unprecedented torch relay.
The Olympic torch is set to scale the Tibetan
peak someday in May as part of the domestic leg of the relay for the Beijing
Olympics, which start on August 8. Full Story
QOMOLANGMA, Tibet, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The
weather service is working hard on preparing for one of the pre-Games
highlights, the Olympic torch ascent of the top of Mount Qomolangma (Everest),
as Chinese mountaineers still have to wait for the marching orders after the
Himalayas region was hit by two days's snowstorm.
After running through 19 countries on its international
leg, the Beijing Games' torch has returned to China for a three-month tour of
the entire country, including Qomolangma ascent on a day in May when the weather
condition is most suitable. Full Story
QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese
mountaineers on a mission to carry the Olympic flame over Mt. Qomolangma might
have to postpone their climbing due to heavy snow, a weather service official
said Saturday.
The torch relay, ahead of the Games which start in Beijing
on Aug. 8, will include a climb to the top of the world's highest mountain,
which spans Nepal and the Chinese region of Tibet. Full Story
QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese
climbers are beefing up for the ascent of the Olymic flame over Qomolangma, said
Zhang Zhijian, spokesman of the Chinese Mountaineering Team, Friday at a press
conference in the Qomolangma media center at about 5,040 meters above sea level.
The relay, which started in Beijing on August 8, has been
billed as the most ambitious of all time, with the "high point" set to be an
ascent of Mount Qomolangma in May. Full Story
