China plans major cut in number of Everest climbers
BEIJING — China will cut the number of climbers attempting to scale Mount Everest from the north by one-third this year as part of plans for a major cleanup on the world’s highest peak, state media reported Monday.
The total number of climbers seeking to summit the world’s highest peak at 8,850 metres (29,035 feet) from the north will be limited to less than 300 and the climbing season restricted to spring, the reports said.
The cleanup efforts will include the recovery of the bodies of climbers who died at more than 8,000 metres (26,246 feet) up the mountain, they said.
Parts of Everest are in China and Nepal. Each year, about 60,000 climbers and guides visit the Chinese north side of the mountain, which China refers to by its Tibetan name, Mount Qomolangma.