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Guides Say China is Shutting Everest due to Virus Fears

Associated Press

   KATHMANDU, NEPAL - Expedition operators on Mount Everest said Thursday
   that Chinese mountaineering officials will not allow spring climbs from
   their side of the mountain due to fears of the coronavirus.

   On the others side of the mountain in Nepal, operators say
   cancellations for the popular spring climbing season have been pouring
   in despite the mountain being open for business.

   Dawa Shepra of Kathmandu-based Climbalaya Treks and Expeditions said
   the officials told them though the virus was getting under control in
   China, they could not risk bringing in foreign climbers.

   He said the conversation with the China Tibet Mountaineering
   Association officials was over the phone and no official emails, faxes
   or messages were sent.

   Jiban Ghimire of Shangrila Nepal Trek also said he spoke on the phone
   with Chinese officials who said there would be no climbing on Everest
   during this year's popular spring climbing season.

   Climbers using the northern route in China generally uses operators
   based in Nepal to equip and manage the expeditions.

   Although China has canceled most sports events for the foreseeable
   future, Zhang Mingxin of the Tibetan sports administration said it was
   still monitoring the situation and had yet to make a decision.

   "We have been maintaining contact with overseas organizers of the
   mountaineering teams to get updated information. It depends on the
   development of the epidemic situation and the ability of our providing
   services," Zhang told The Associated Press on Thursday.

   In Nepal the mountaineering season began last week and Everest was
   still open for climbers.

   Officials and mountaineering expedition operators, however, said they
   fear there will be a significant drop in the number of climbers this
   year. That could reduce government revenue and affect the thousands of
   workers who depend on the climbers for their livelihoods.

   "This season is not very encouraging for the mountaineering industry in
   Nepal," said Surendra Thapa, the director at Nepal's Department of
   Tourism.

   Operators says though climbers generally arrive in April so they can
   attempt scale the peak in May, they were getting many cancellations.

   "We are getting flooded with postponements. They all want to hold on
   their climb and shift to 2021 season," said Jiban Ghimire of Shangrila
   Nepal Trek.

   Pemba Sherpa of Xtreme Climbers Treks, said all of the cancellations
   were going to be a big setback for Nepal's mountaineering industry.