Careful Climbers Plan Return to Everest in April
2021-03-29
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1The world's tallest mountain has been closed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
2But Nepal's Mount Everest will be open to visitors again next month.
3The news pleases mountain climbers from around the world.
4Climbing season begins in April with the start of better weather.
5A representative from Nepal's department of tourism expects about 300 climbers will try to reach the top of the mountain this year.
6During the climbing season in 2019, a record 381 climbers attempted to reach the top of Everest.
7This year, if someone wants to climb the mountain, they must show a recent negative test for the virus.
8Visitors also must stay away from other people for a week after arriving in Nepal.
9Mountain climbing is an important part of Nepal's economy.
10Eight of the world's 14 highest mountains - including Everest - are at least partly in the South Asian country.
11Nepal closed its mountains in 2020 as the coronavirus spread in the country, which borders India and China.
12Nepal has recorded nearly 275,000 infections and just over 3,000 deaths from the virus.
13The virus is more controlled now that vaccinations have started.
14The part of Everest in China remains closed, so it is possible that more climbers than usual will come to Nepal.
15Lukas Furtenbach is with Furtenbach Adventures, a California-based company that leads mountain climbing trips.
16He plans to bring 22 people to Nepal for climbing trips this year.
17Two of his groups will try to climb Everest.
18He said his groups will follow COVID-19 rules such as living in a "bubble" at the start of the trip.
19Garrett Madison owns an adventure company called Madison Mountaineering.
20He plans to bring climbers from April through May.
21"We are not afraid of COVID, but will take precautions," he said.
22Another company, however, will stay away this season.
23Adrian Ballinger works for Alpenglow Expeditions in California.
24He said it is not a "responsible time" to lead trips to Nepal because of the country's weak healthcare system.
25Ballinger added, "The last thing we want to do is put our climbers in harm's way or create a rescue situation on the mountain if someone were to get sick that would put others in danger."
26I'm Dan Friedell.
1The world's tallest mountain has been closed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. 2But Nepal's Mount Everest will be open to visitors again next month. The news pleases mountain climbers from around the world. 3Climbing season begins in April with the start of better weather. A representative from Nepal's department of tourism expects about 300 climbers will try to reach the top of the mountain this year. 4During the climbing season in 2019, a record 381 climbers attempted to reach the top of Everest. 5This year, if someone wants to climb the mountain, they must show a recent negative test for the virus. Visitors also must stay away from other people for a week after arriving in Nepal. 6Mountain climbing is an important part of Nepal's economy. Eight of the world's 14 highest mountains - including Everest - are at least partly in the South Asian country. 7Nepal closed its mountains in 2020 as the coronavirus spread in the country, which borders India and China. Nepal has recorded nearly 275,000 infections and just over 3,000 deaths from the virus. 8The virus is more controlled now that vaccinations have started. 9The part of Everest in China remains closed, so it is possible that more climbers than usual will come to Nepal. 10Lukas Furtenbach is with Furtenbach Adventures, a California-based company that leads mountain climbing trips. He plans to bring 22 people to Nepal for climbing trips this year. Two of his groups will try to climb Everest. 11He said his groups will follow COVID-19 rules such as living in a "bubble" at the start of the trip. 12Garrett Madison owns an adventure company called Madison Mountaineering. He plans to bring climbers from April through May. 13"We are not afraid of COVID, but will take precautions," he said. 14Another company, however, will stay away this season. 15Adrian Ballinger works for Alpenglow Expeditions in California. 16He said it is not a "responsible time" to lead trips to Nepal because of the country's weak healthcare system. 17Ballinger added, "The last thing we want to do is put our climbers in harm's way or create a rescue situation on the mountain if someone were to get sick that would put others in danger." 18I'm Dan Friedell. 19Gopal Sharma wrote this story for Reuters. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 20Have you ever thought about climbing Everest? Tell us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. 21_______________________________________________ 22Words in This Story 23negative -adj. not showing the presence of a particular germ, condition, or substance 24bubble -n. a group created during the pandemic that prevents new people from entering and keeps the group safe from infection 25precautions -n. something that is done to prevent possible harm or trouble from happening in the future