No takers for Everest this autumn

For the first time in 28 years, not a single mountaineering expedition is heading up the Nepali side of Mount Everest in autumn.

Everest, the world's highest peak standing at 8,848 metres, was first opened for autumn climbing in 1973 and two Japanese made the ascent hat year, which was then regarded as a daring act.

According to an undersecretary at the ministry of tourism, the last year 64 expeditions came climbing in Nepal in autumn, the most popular climbing season in this Himalayan kingdom. "Surprisingly, this year no team has shown interest," he said.

Nepal and China share the Everest peak and many teams are attempting the climb this fall from the Tibetan side.

Mountaineers claim that Nepal's stiff and "unnecessary" rules and regulations harass the climbers. Besides, they say, the authorities must to do something to clear the mountain of garbage that climbers leave behind.

"After paying almost $15,000 for the permit, the Nepali government must take the responsibility for cleaning the rubbish from the mountain side. But the authorities want everything from the expedition team," said a renowned mountaineer who has climbed the Everest twice with two different expeditions.

"(The rule about) bringing back everything the expedition team has taken from Kathmandu is one of the reasons that expedition teams are now attracted to the Chinese side of Everest," the mountaineer added.

"The Nepali government knows how to squeeze money from mountaineers and expedition teams but does not know what facilities should be provided to attract the expeditions," another mountaineer said.

But Nepali officials do not agree that those are the reasons for the missing climbers this season.

"Expeditions are now concentrating on spring climbs," said a senior official at the tourism ministry but refused to make any further comment.

A few attempts were made to clean the garbage accumulated on Everest but due to heavy expenses they came to an abrupt end six months ago.

The government, the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and Nepal Television (NTV) paid Nepali porters and guides working for 20 expeditions at the base camp of the world's highest peak nearly Rs. 4 million (roughly $50,000) to carry down more than 4,000 kg of garbage.

That garbage is now lying unattended in one corner of Tribhuvan International Airport here and neither the Nepal government nor the parties involved in the cleaning operation are making any attempt to dispose of it.

Meanwhile, the senior tourism ministry official said mountaineering expeditions were attempting to scale other Himalayan peaks in Nepal this season.

"Five expeditions from Japan, four from Germany, three from Austria, two teams from Australia, South Korea, Great Britain and the U.S and one team each from Italy and Poland will attempt to scale different peaks this autumn," the official said.

--Indo-Asian News Service