(TibetanReview.net, Jun09, 2017) – China has said Jun 7 that it will bar foreigners other than Chinese from climbing the Tibetan side of Mt Everest during the coming autumn season after a Polish climber scaled the world’s highest peak only to cross, “illegally”, into Nepal last month. A notice to this effect was issued by the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA), declaring it will suspend climbing permits for all of occupied Tibet, including other popular summits such as Cho Oyu and Shishapangma.
The AFP Jun 8 cited CTMA as saying the ban was decided after Polish climber Janusz Adam Adamski “illegally scaled (Everest) from the north side” and entered Nepal in the south”.
The notice, issued in English, was stated to explain that rules and regulations must be “adjusted and improved” following Adamski’s trek.
“In order to solve the series of above problems in time, and provide a good condition to all expeditions in 2018 … the climbing permits will not be granted in autumn 2017,” CTMA was quoted as saying.
A CTMA spokesman has clarified that Chinese climbers will not be affected.
Durgal Dutta Dhakal, a spokesman for Nepal’s tourism department, has said a 10-year ban on climbing in Nepal had been imposed on the Pole who he has said also faced possible deportation.
Nepal has said it took a light stance because the Pile had said he was alone and unwell when he reached the summit and feared for his life if he descended by himself from the north side.
However, AFP also cited Adamski as having told Nepal’s the Himalayan Times last month that he considered the Tibet-Nepal traverse the “fulfillment of (his) lifetime dream.”
“I am ready to face any legal challenge in Nepal to safeguard the greatest achievement of my life,” he was quoted as having said.