China to erect line separating its climbers from Nepalese climbers on Mount Everest summit: Everything to know

COVID line on Mount Everest: The Mount Everest is located on the border of Nepal and China and thus, climbers can scale the mountain from both sides. Now, before China allows climbers to ascend the peak from the North side of the mountain, the country has decided to draw a line of separation at the top so that the Chinese climbers do not mingle with climbers from Nepal, where the pandemic is currently raging. Nepal is witnessing a surge in the number of coronavirus cases recently, with some cases even having been detected on the base camp of Everest located on the Nepalese side. Meanwhile, China has seemingly mostly overcome the virus. But what is China planning to do in its mission to draw a line of separation?

According to Chinese media, Tibetan climbing guides are set to climb the summit and establish a line of separation between the two countries at the peak. This line is aimed to ensure that mountaineers from the two sides of the mountain do not come in contact with each other. However, it is still not clear how the line of separation would achieve that goal. It has been reported that from the Tibetan side, 21 climbers from China are scaling the peak at the moment.

The only place where climbers from the China side and the Nepal side can meet is at the summit. Accordingly, there is no information as to how the country plans to establish a line of separation at such a precarious location, which is the size of about a dining table. At one time, a report in IE said, about six people can stand on top of the mountain, which is merely a small mound consisting of snow. In fact, on busy days, climbers have to wait in queues to reach the summit. In any case, successful mountaineers merely have a few minutes to stay at the peak, where they can get their pictures clicked and also take in the 360 degrees view.

The report cited experts as saying that neither is it possible to erect such a barrier atop Mount Everest, nor is it required, because any person having COVID-19 is very unlikely to be able to scale the mountain and its difficult journey in the first place. Moreover, people who ultimately reach the peak wear several layers of thick clothes, wear protective glasses and gear and also have oxygen masks covering their faces, to protect them from cold and to help them breathe at such high altitudes. This is likely to prevent any transmission of the virus between climbers.