Nepal’s Everest mountaineering season usually ends in May end but this year, in a rare move, authorities have extended the season till 3 June as many climbers are still waiting for their turn. 

The extension came in the backdrop of bad weather due to back-to-back cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea which disrupted climbing activities in the last few weeks. 

Meera Acharya, the director of Nepal’s Department of Tourism, said “As there are many climbers who have completed their acclimatization and are waiting for good weather at Everest base camp [5,300 meters] and Camp 2 [6,400 meters], we have decided to give them a chance to make their summit bids after reassessing the weather forecast which had been expected to be favorable at the end of May.”

Amid the pandemic, the country had issued record climbing permits, 408, this year. And, so far, only 350 made it to the top peak. 

The climbing this year has been the riskiest. Despite strict health measures, many climbers and sherpas tested positive for the Covid-19 at base camps. Reports suggested that many climbers also aborted their climbing citing the risk of the Covid-19. 

There is also the risk of melting ice, making climbing more dangerous. Officials, however, claimed that melting hasn’t started yet so there is no risk. 

(SAM)