Olympic Torch Climb Hit By Weather

The Chinese Olympic Torch team on Everest is preparing for a summit bid after heavy snowfall damaged exsiting fixed ropes and camps on the mountain according to reports from Reuters in today's media.

The report says that 31 Chinese clmbers, 22 of them ethnic Tibetans are on the mountain fixing ropes and preparing camps for the summit bid which has been hampered by a heavy fall of snow over the weekend which reportedly destroyed the route already fixed on the mountain and damaged camps.

According to the Chinese spokesman, most of the team are not professional mountaineers, but mostly students. More at www.guardian.co.uk.

Meanwhile MountEverest.net describes the mountain as 'under siege' with climbers scattered between base camp and villages lower down the Khumbi Valley on the Nepal side. The site speculates that climbers may not be allowed back onto the route until 10 May and quotes one expedition leader on the ground as saying that a hoped for weather window on 6 May could allow a Chinese summit attempt.

The Rannulph Fiennes expedition reports 'Mountain closed' on its site at www.everestchallenge.org.uk but at that point, 1 May, predicted it would be open again by 3 May, which presumably won't happen until the Chinese summit.

In effect, expeditions on the Nepal side of the mountain are in limbo waiting for the go ahead to make final acclimatisation ascents on the mountain and push up beyond Camp 3 and to the summit.