“Tougher than Everest,” says climber who broke a record and was stranded in Nepal amid the covid-19 crisis

(Reuters) – Tsang Yin-Hung, a Hong Kong resident who climbed Mount Everest faster than any other woman, and dozens of other Chinese mountaineers are unable to leave Nepal due to covid-19 restrictions imposed by Beijing, they said. .

Nepal has seen an increase in infections even at Everest base camp, prompting several countries to block travel from there. The positive daily rate of infections in Nepal stands at more than 24%, among the highest in the world at this time.

The travel restrictions were imposed after the start of the climbing season and new outbreaks in Nepal.

Tsang, 44, who climbed Mount Everest in 25 hours and 50 minutes last month, said returning home seemed more difficult than his ascent to the 8,848.86-meter peak.

“I think the climb to the summit was possible and achievable for me,” he told Reuters at his hotel in Kathmandu. But going home (seems) impossible. There is no way to go back.

Nepalese officials say they have allowed two weekly flights from China, but they were not operational.

The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu did not immediately respond to an email from Reuters about the lack of flights.

“There are no flights (from Nepal) to anywhere in China or Hong Kong,” said the climber.

Climbers from other countries have already been able to return on chartered flights.

Sun Yi Quan, a 34-year-old Chinese woman who climbed Everst three times before but abandoned her last attempt in May due to the coronavirus outbreak at base camp, said her team of 13 climbers also couldn’t get a flight home.

Kathmandu has been partially closed since May due to the covid-19 outbreak. So far, the country has 622,640 infections and 8,872 deaths.

Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, a senior official with the Seven Summit Treks company, said that more than 30 Chinese climbers were stranded in Kathmandu.