For the first time since the onset of the pandemic, China has opened access to Mount Everest via Tibet to foreign climbers. Adrian Ballinger, an experienced climber who has conquered Everest eight times, favours the Tibet route over the more popular Nepal route. This year, his company, Alpenglow Expeditions, will lead a group of climbers to the summit.
All permits for using the Chinese route, known as Qomolangma in China, are managed by the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA) rather than by tourism officials in Beijing. However, the Chinese government has not officially announced the distribution of these permits to the public.
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Non-Chinese climbers typically learn about the opening of the Tibet side of Everest when the CTMA releases a price list for the season, which includes costs for yaks carrying gear, local guides, translators, and transportation from Tibet’s capital, Lhasa,…
