The Monsoon Season isn't even officially over yet, and the Fall and Winter climbing season haven't begun, yet we already have a 2008 Spring Preview for Everest, courtesy of the Everest Is Ours Blog. Granted, there are currently no expeditions scheduled for the Fall or Winter, but Nepal is hoping to change that.
The sneak peak, accompanied with a sweet picture of the North Col Camp, takes a look at most of the major commercial expeditions work in the North Side, who all have confirmed to Everest Is Ours that they will be there, on the mountain, in force, despite the huge Chinese contingent that will rule that side of the mountain to insure that the Olympic Torch gets up and down without incident.
Rumors have been flying that the Chinese would not issue permits for the North Side so that nothing would interfere with their climb, but this report seems to squash those rumors. It's a pretty safe bet however that the Chinese will take over an even larger portion of base camp next year than they did this year, and the speculation is that no other teams will be allowed to summit before they do.
The preview is a nice piece on the what to expect in the Spring and a great look at all the elements swirling around the Torch in general. Expect to hear a whole lot more about this in the months ahead. One thing is for sure, the Chinese want to make a huge impression with the Olympics next year, and the Torch run is going to get tons of press.
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