https://www.scmp.com/rss/327517/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft In 1994, Deepmala Kharel Dhakal’s mother competed in the first Miss Nepal beauty pageant. Thirty-two years later, the Nepali-Hongkonger is preparing to follow in her footsteps. The 23-year-old was crowned Miss Nepal Hong Kong International on Thursday. Victory at the event guarantees entrance into the national competition later this year. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Kharel Dhakal has an impressive resume. She landed a job as an investment strategist with BlackRock after graduating from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3342770/hong-kongs-miss-nepal-hopeful-follows-mothers-pageant-footsteps-32-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3342770/hong-kongs-miss-nepal-hopeful-follows-mothers-pageant-footsteps-32-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Many tourism entrepreneurs in Nepal have welcomed the arrest of executives accused of orchestrating fake rescue operations on the country’s Himalayan trekking trails and swindling millions of dollars from insurers. The arrests follow a nearly three-month investigation by Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau into a long-running insurance fraud scheme where travel and rescue companies allegedly staged helicopter evacuations from the mountains to pocket insurance money from foreign travel... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3342688/nepals-tourism-sector-welcomes-arrests-fake-mountain-rescues-urges-tough-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3342688/nepals-tourism-sector-welcomes-arrests-fake-mountain-rescues-urges-tough-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:00:29 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Chinese authorities have again stressed that hiking on the deadly Aotai Line in northwest China is illegal after three more people died on what Chinese media have described as the country’s “most dangerous hiking route”. “It is strictly forbidden to conduct unauthorised hiking traverses and similar activities [on the Aotai trail],” the General Administration of Sport’s mountaineering management centre said in a notice on Friday. “Recently, five individuals undertook an unauthorised crossing of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3339504/strictly-forbidden-china-warns-hikers-aotai-line-after-3-die-infamous-trail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3339504/strictly-forbidden-china-warns-hikers-aotai-line-after-3-die-infamous-trail?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:45:03 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott It has been a tough year in Hong Kong. The typhoon season was hectic, including September’s Super Typhoon Ragasa that brought the city to a standstill, while last month’s deadly Tai Po fires brought the city to its knees. But amid the sombre news, some stories emerged to inspire us. We revisit seven of them. 1. Weight loss bartender Look up the highest-rated bars in Seoul, and you will find many of them clustered in Cheongdam, an affluent neighbourhood near Apgujeong and Gangnam in the South... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3338101/7-inspiring-stories-perseverance-and-resurrection-cancer-fighters-astronaut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3338101/7-inspiring-stories-perseverance-and-resurrection-cancer-fighters-astronaut?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 11:15:07 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari For years, Nepal’s government has faced pressure to reduce rubbish in the Himalayas, where decades of commercial mountaineering have left large amounts of discarded gear, human waste and other debris on some of the world’s tallest peaks. Last week, the authorities in Kathmandu finally took firm action. They approved a landmark five-year plan to clean up Nepal’s mountains, seeking to curb waste through stricter monitoring and limiting the number of climbers on Mount Everest, the world’s highest... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337378/nepal-clean-mount-everests-waste-limiting-climbers-flying-more-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337378/nepal-clean-mount-everests-waste-limiting-climbers-flying-more-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:30:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Kanchha Sherpa, the only surviving member of the mountaineering expedition team that first conquered Mount Everest, died early Thursday, according to the Nepal Mountaineering Association. The association’s president, Phur Gelje Sherpa, confirmed that Kanchha died at age 92 at his home in Kathmandu. “He passed away peacefully at his residence,” Phur Gelje Sherpa said, adding that he had been unwell for some time. “A chapter of mountaineering history has vanished with him.” Last rites will be held... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3329274/kanchha-sherpa-last-link-everests-first-summit-dies-92-history-vanished-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3329274/kanchha-sherpa-last-link-everests-first-summit-dies-92-history-vanished-him?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:48:49 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial October is peak season on the slopes of Mount Everest and surrounding regions. Relatively mild temperatures and clear skies are more likely. They attract climbers and tourists in their thousands, from the experienced to the less seasoned or even novice mountaineers. However, the weather can still be unpredictable. An exception to the norm can be devastating, even deadly. An example is a blizzard that suddenly struck Tibet and Qinghai during the “golden week” national holiday, surprising even the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3328345/everest-rescue-shows-danger-taking-risks-social-media-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3328345/everest-rescue-shows-danger-taking-risks-social-media-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 23:15:20 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Hundreds of trekkers have reached safety after being stranded near the eastern slope of Mount Everest by heavy snowfalls, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. CCTV reported on Tuesday night that 580 trekkers and more than 300 local guides and yak porters had “safely reached” a relocation point in Qudang in the Tibet autonomous region, and arrangements were being made for them to return home. A further dozen hikers, helped by rescue personnel sent from Tingri county, had reached a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328202/800-more-trekkers-guides-and-porters-rescued-after-being-stranded-everest-blizzard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328202/800-more-trekkers-guides-and-porters-rescued-after-being-stranded-everest-blizzard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:31:50 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. 1 dead in Qinghai, hundreds evacuated as China’s rescue in Everest area continues One person has been reported dead in the wake of the sudden blizzard that engulfed Tibet and Qinghai over the weekend, as rescuers continue to evacuate hundreds of hikers from the eastern slopes of Mount Everest, according to official media. 2. As China’s population falls,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328032/chinas-industrial-robot-army-hundreds-evacuated-everest-area-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328032/chinas-industrial-robot-army-hundreds-evacuated-everest-area-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:15:07 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng One person has been reported dead in the wake of the sudden blizzard that engulfed Tibet and Qinghai over the weekend, as rescuers continue to evacuate hundreds of hikers from the eastern slopes of Mount Everest, according to official media. At noon on Monday, state broadcaster CCTV said that one hiker died from hypothermia and altitude sickness on Sunday in the Laohugou area of Qinghai province’s Haibei prefecture. As of Monday morning, 137 hikers had been safely evacuated from the area – known... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327987/1-dead-qinghai-hundreds-evacuated-chinas-rescue-everest-area-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327987/1-dead-qinghai-hundreds-evacuated-chinas-rescue-everest-area-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 07:02:58 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Human waste, empty oxygen cylinders, kitchen leftovers and discarded ladders. Sherpas working on Mount Everest carry all that and more – 20 kilograms (44 pounds) per person – navigating a four-hour hike that traverses crumbling glacial ice and treacherous crevasses to bring trash back to base camp. During the most recent climbing season, they had new help from two giant SZ DJI Technology Co. drones, which can complete the same journey in six minutes, sharing the task of clearing an expanding... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3317091/nepal-uses-drones-clean-mount-everests-trash-covered-slopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3317091/nepal-uses-drones-clean-mount-everests-trash-covered-slopes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 10:31:26 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer Raj Gurung joined an elite group of Hong Kong residents this month, after successfully reaching the top of Mount Everest. Despite only taking up climbing three years ago, the 53-year-old bar owner summited the world’s highest mountain on May 18. Gurung’s journey took two attempts spanning nine days, and forced him to pass six dead climbers, sometimes having to stand on their hair, during a “traffic jam” near the summit. “I’ve been preparing for the last three years,” Gurung said. “During that... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3312077/hong-kong-bar-owner-who-climbed-over-six-dead-reach-top-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3312077/hong-kong-bar-owner-who-climbed-over-six-dead-reach-top-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 05:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Four British climbers became the first to scale Mount Everest on Wednesday using Xenon gas, which helped them save several weeks that mountaineers need to get used to high altitudes, an official of their expedition organising company said. Normally, climbers spend several weeks or even months on the mountain to allow their bodies to adjust to higher altitudes before trying to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain. It is extremely dangerous to go up if the climber is not properly... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3311263/british-climbers-conquer-mount-everest-record-time-using-xenon-gas-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3311263/british-climbers-conquer-mount-everest-record-time-using-xenon-gas-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 11:53:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nepal will issue Everest permits only to climbers with experience of scaling at least one of the Himalayan nation’s 7,000-metre (22,965ft) peaks, according to the draft of a new law aimed at reducing overcrowding and improving safety. Nepal, which is heavily reliant on climbing, trekking and tourism for foreign exchange, has faced criticism for permitting too many climbers, including inexperienced ones, to try to ascend the 8,849-metre (29,032ft) peak. This often results in long queues of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3308309/nepal-demand-experience-everest-climbers-new-safety-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3308309/nepal-demand-experience-everest-climbers-new-safety-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Apr 2025 04:22:34 +0000 One of the greatest mountain guides will attempt to scale the world’s highest peak for the 31st time – and possibly the 32nd time as well – and break his own record. Kami Rita, 55, flew to Mount Everest on Sunday from Kathmandu to lead a group of climbers who will try to reach the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) summit during the spring climbing season. “I am mentally, emotionally and physically prepared to climb the mountain,” Kami Rita said at Kathmandu’s airport. “I am in my top physical condition... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3307214/famed-sherpa-kami-rita-attempt-31st-mount-everest-climb-break-own-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3307214/famed-sherpa-kami-rita-attempt-31st-mount-everest-climb-break-own-record?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Apr 2025 08:25:52 +0000 In March 2009, American Scott Parazynski – a veteran of five Nasa space shuttle missions, including seven spacewalks, who had racked up more than 23 million miles (37 million km) – hung up his spacesuit. “I could have flown once, maybe twice more, but I was keen to stretch my wings as an inventor and entrepreneur,” says the 63-year-old. A couple of months after retiring from the US space agency, Parazynski attempted to summit Mount Everest but, at 7,470 metres (24,500 feet), was forced to turn... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3305922/ex-nasa-astronaut-scott-parazynski-shares-his-journey-space-top-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3305922/ex-nasa-astronaut-scott-parazynski-shares-his-journey-space-top-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Apr 2025 08:15:07 +0000 Nepal’s airlines have halted helicopter flights to the Everest region after locals angry at the environmental impact and loss of income from trekkers threatened landing sites, aviation officials said. Helicopters are a key means of transport and crucial for emergency rescue in many of Nepal’s remote regions, often inaccessible by road. But they have also been increasingly used to airlift mountaineering teams and tourists over the challenging terrains in the Sagarmatha National Park, home to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3293670/planning-helicopter-tour-everest-nepal-has-some-bad-news-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3293670/planning-helicopter-tour-everest-nepal-has-some-bad-news-you?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jan 2025 01:36:12 +0000 Climbers believe they have found the partial remains of a British mountaineer who might – or might not – have been one of the first two people to climb Mount Everest, a century after their attempt on the world’s highest peak, according to an expedition led by National Geographic. Ahead of the release of a documentary film, the television channel said on Friday that the expedition found a foot encased in a sock embroidered with “AC Irvine” and a boot that could be that of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3282083/uk-everest-explorers-remains-believed-found-100-years-after-disappearance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3282083/uk-everest-explorers-remains-believed-found-100-years-after-disappearance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:00:03 +0000 An 18-year-old Nepali mountaineer on Wednesday broke the record for the youngest person to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks, his team said. Nima Rinji Sherpa reached the summit of Tibet’s 8,027-metre-high (26,335 feet) Shisha Pangma on Wednesday morning, completing his mission to stand on the world’s highest peaks. “He reached the summit this morning. He had trained well and I was confident he would do it,” said his father Tashi Sherpa. Summiting all 14 “eight-thousanders” is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3281657/just-18-hes-already-climbed-all-highest-peaks-earth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3281657/just-18-hes-already-climbed-all-highest-peaks-earth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2024 05:51:45 +0000 The highest camp on the world’s tallest mountain is littered with garbage that is going to take years to clean up, according to a Sherpa who led a team that worked to clear trash and dig up dead bodies frozen for years near Mount Everest’s peak. The Nepal government-funded team of soldiers and Sherpas removed 11 tonnes of garbage, four dead bodies and a skeleton from Everest during this year’s climbing season. Ang Babu Sherpa, who led the team of Sherpas, said there could be as much as 40-50... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3269495/clearing-mount-everests-highest-camp-frozen-garbage-take-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3269495/clearing-mount-everests-highest-camp-frozen-garbage-take-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 08:05:36 +0000 The pre-monsoon climbing season in Nepal has come to a close for another year and once again it has been a deadly one. The spring 2024 death toll among those attempting to summit Everest stands, at the time of writing, at eight, with other fatalities elsewhere in the Nepali Himalayas. Mongolians Usukhjargal Tsedendamba, 53, and Prevsuren Lkhagvajav, 31, who died after summiting, were the first to perish, on May 13, and Indian Banshi Lal, 46, the latest. On May 21, Pastenji Sherpa, 23, and Briton... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3264532/another-deadly-everest-spring-climbing-season-why-are-so-many-so-eager-reach-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3264532/another-deadly-everest-spring-climbing-season-why-are-so-many-so-eager-reach-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 May 2024 23:45:08 +0000 An Indian climber rescued from Everest has died in hospital, a Nepali tourism official said on Tuesday, taking the number of fatalities this season on the world’s highest mountain to eight. Banshi Lal, 46, was plucked from the mountain last week and taken to a hospital in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu. “He died at the hospital yesterday,” Rakesh Gurung of the tourism department said. Three people – a British climber and two Nepali guides – among the eight are listed as missing but presumed dead. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3264434/indian-climber-dies-after-everest-bid-eighth-death-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3264434/indian-climber-dies-after-everest-bid-eighth-death-season?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 May 2024 12:00:09 +0000 Nepal’s Phunjo Lama smashed the record on Thursday for the fastest ascent of Everest by a woman, conquering the world’s highest mountain in 14 hours and 31 minutes. Climbers usually take days to reach the top of the 8,849-metre (29,000-foot) mountain, spending nights on its different camps to rest and acclimatise. But Lama, who is in her thirties, shaved more than 11 hours off the previous best that had stood since 2021. It means she has reclaimed her own world record. “She started [from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3263820/nepals-phunjo-lama-smashes-womens-record-fastest-ascent-everest-11-hours-inspiration-female-climbers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3263820/nepals-phunjo-lama-smashes-womens-record-fastest-ascent-everest-11-hours-inspiration-female-climbers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 May 2024 10:30:19 +0000 A Kenyan climber has died close to Everest’s summit and his Nepali guide is missing, a tourism official said on Thursday, taking this season’s toll on the world’s highest mountain to at least three. Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui, 40, and his Nepali guide Nawang Sherpa, 44, went out of contact on Wednesday morning, and a search team was deployed on the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) high mountain. “The team have found the Kenyan climber dead between the summit and the Hillary Step, but his guide is still... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3263752/kenyan-climber-dies-mount-everest-nepali-guide-missing-seasonal-fatalities-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3263752/kenyan-climber-dies-mount-everest-nepali-guide-missing-seasonal-fatalities-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 May 2024 05:51:10 +0000 A 54-year-old Nepali climber known as “Everest man” reached the peak of the world’s highest mountain for a record 30th time on Wednesday, three decades after his first summit. Kami Rita Sherpa, who broke his own record after climbing the 8,849m (29,032ft) peak for the 29th time earlier this month, has previously said he was “just working” and did not plan on setting records. “Kami Rita reached the summit this morning. Now he has made a new record with 30 summits of Everest,” Mingma Sherpa of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3263700/nepals-everest-man-reaches-peak-record-30th-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3263700/nepals-everest-man-reaches-peak-record-30th-time?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 15:24:51 +0000 Days before reaching the summit of Mount Everest last May, Nepali mountaineer Tenzi Sherpa captured a video – not showing the striking views of the snow-capped Himalayas, but the vast heaps of garbage left behind by climbers. The footage from Camp 4, located around 8,000 metres above sea level and known as the “death zone” due to its unforgiving conditions, showed discarded tents, oxygen cylinders and utensils frozen in time. “[It’s the] dirtiest camp I have ever seen,” Sherpa wrote on Instagram... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3263153/everest-dirty-trash-strewn-mess-it-too-late-nepal-fix-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3263153/everest-dirty-trash-strewn-mess-it-too-late-nepal-fix-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 May 2024 10:00:24 +0000 Nepali climber Kami Rita Sherpa reached the top of Mount Everest for the 29th time on Sunday, breaking his own record for the most summits of the world’s highest mountain. “Kami Rita reached the summit this morning. Now he has made a new record with 29 summits of Everest,” said Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, his expedition organiser. A guide for more than two decades, Sherpa, also known as “Everest Man”, first summited the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak in 1994 when working for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3262368/nepals-everest-man-notches-29th-summit-worlds-highest-mountain-breaking-own-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3262368/nepals-everest-man-notches-29th-summit-worlds-highest-mountain-breaking-own-record?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 May 2024 07:50:57 +0000 Federico Porci No, 30, grew up in Tirano, a small city in the Alps, in northern Italy. Living in the mountains, trekking was a way of life for him. However, when he visited Nepal for the first time, in 2018, to attempt the Annapurna Circuit, he found it enormously challenging both physically and mentally. “Trekking there is a vastly different experience compared to other parts of the world.” Nevertheless, “I just fell in love with Nepal,” he says. Like Porci No, trekkers from all over the world... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3261688/how-overcrowding-peaks-everest-and-himalayan-trails-leads-danger-and-rise-trash-despite-nepals-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3261688/how-overcrowding-peaks-everest-and-himalayan-trails-leads-danger-and-rise-trash-despite-nepals-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 May 2024 03:15:15 +0000 At just five years old, Abyan Imtiaz Irkiz has become the youngest Singaporean to reach Mount Everest base camp. Abyan achieved the feat with his father, Zikri Ali, 41, on Monday – two days earlier than they had planned. It took the pair eight days to reach the base camp, which sits at an altitude of 5.36km above sea level. It serves as a home base for mountaineers attempting to climb Mount Everest in Nepal. The father and son duo, who have been documenting their journey on an Instagram account... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3261331/5-year-old-becomes-youngest-singaporean-conquer-everest-base-camp-through-hard-work-and-faith?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3261331/5-year-old-becomes-youngest-singaporean-conquer-everest-base-camp-through-hard-work-and-faith?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 08:21:11 +0000 Climbers attempting to scale Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, will be ordered to buy poop bags and bring their waste back down with them for proper disposal, according to a new regulation. Mingma Sherpa, the chairman of Pasang Lhamu rural municipality, which covers most of the Everest region, told BBC News that the new rule was introduced in response to unpleasant smells and unseemly sights in the area. The extreme cold of Everest prevents faeces from fully degrading. “Our mountains have... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3251452/mount-everest-climbers-must-now-buy-poop-bags-and-bring-their-waste-down-our-mountains-have-begun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3251452/mount-everest-climbers-must-now-buy-poop-bags-and-bring-their-waste-down-our-mountains-have-begun?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2024 16:00:14 +0000 A Chinese scientific expedition team reached the summit of Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest mountain, on Sunday morning, state media reported. “This marks the first time that [a Chinese] scientific expedition team has reached a peak above 8,000 metres (26,250 feet) other than Mount Everest, signifying that China has developed a systematic ability to conduct comprehensive scientific investigations at extremely high altitudes,” state news agency Xinhua reported. The 18 members of the expedition... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3236419/roof-world-chinese-team-tests-extremes-environmental-science?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3236419/roof-world-chinese-team-tests-extremes-environmental-science?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Oct 2023 06:00:18 +0000 A Norwegian climber who recently became the fastest person to summit the world’s 14 highest peaks has addressed controversy after critics accused her of walking over a dying sherpa to set her record. In a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday, Kristin Harila, 37, said she and her team “did everything we could for him at the time”. Harila and her Nepali guide Tenjin “Lama” Sherpa became the fastest people to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre mountains on July 27 after reaching the top of K2... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3230858/death-threats-norways-record-breaking-climber-who-denies-stepping-over-dying-sherpa-reach-k2-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3230858/death-threats-norways-record-breaking-climber-who-denies-stepping-over-dying-sherpa-reach-k2-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:55:37 +0000 2023 has been a particularly lethal year for climbers, with Mount Everest already having one of its deadliest years on record. Thirteen people had reportedly died on the mountain by the end of the spring season, and there are a further four listed as missing – and one seasoned climber is pointing the blame at the rising number of Nepalese climbing companies, The Times reported. British climber Kenton Cool, who holds the record for the most ascents of Everest by anyone born outside Nepal, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3227902/mount-everest-record-holding-climber-blames-nepalese-companies-shocking-rise-deaths-calls-inquiry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3227902/mount-everest-record-holding-climber-blames-nepalese-companies-shocking-rise-deaths-calls-inquiry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jul 2023 11:18:56 +0000 The mantle of snow on top of the world’s highest peak is much deeper than previously thought, a finding that could affect understanding of climate change, according to a group of Chinese scientists. In a report in the non-profit international scientific journal The Cryosphere on Thursday, the researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research said the average depth of the snow on the summit of Mount Everest was about 9.5 metres (31.1 feet). Previous estimates... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3227084/how-deep-snow-mt-everest-chinese-team-says-its-deeper-previously-thought?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3227084/how-deep-snow-mt-everest-chinese-team-says-its-deeper-previously-thought?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:07:30 +0000 A woman from China who almost died while climbing Mount Everest has allegedly refused to pay the Sherpa guide who saved her life a US$10,000 rescue fee, prompting a backlash on mainland social media. Two other Chinese mountain climbers who helped rescue the woman found unconscious at 8,500 metres above sea level ended up paying the fee, news site cqcb.com reported. According to Chinese media reports, the 50-year-old woman from central China’s Hunan province, identified by the surname Liu, was... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3223173/chinese-woman-saved-after-falling-unconscious-mount-everest-refuses-pay-sherpa-guide-us10000-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3223173/chinese-woman-saved-after-falling-unconscious-mount-everest-refuses-pay-sherpa-guide-us10000-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jun 2023 10:00:18 +0000 A Malaysian climber rescued from certain death on Mount Everest has been accused on social media of being ungrateful to the Sherpa who saved his life. Ravichandran Tharumalingam was on death’s door when he was found on May 18 by mountain guide Gelje Sherpa and his Chinese client, who were on their way up to the top of Everest. Ravichandran was stuck in the mountain’s infamous “death zone”, where oxygen is limited, and temperatures can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3223158/malaysian-climber-slammed-not-thanking-sherpa-who-rescued-him-everest-death-zone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3223158/malaysian-climber-slammed-not-thanking-sherpa-who-rescued-him-everest-death-zone?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jun 2023 12:02:10 +0000 When Kami Rita set out on his first expedition to Mount Everest in 1992, he had to trek nearly a month just to reach the Everest Base Camp. Since there were no regular flights back then to Lukla – a small town in northeastern Nepal which today is a popular starting point for climbing the world’s highest peak – his team had to hike for several weeks from Jiri, a town around 190km (118 miles) northeast of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, all the way up to the base camp. With hardly any hotels or... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3222713/70-years-after-tensing-norgay-and-edmund-hillary-summited-mount-everest-climbing-worlds-highest-peak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3222713/70-years-after-tensing-norgay-and-edmund-hillary-summited-mount-everest-climbing-worlds-highest-peak?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jun 2023 08:15:10 +0000 A Malaysian climber narrowly survived after a Nepali Sherpa guide hauled him down from below the summit of Mount Everest in a “very rare” high altitude rescue, a government official said on Wednesday. Gelje Sherpa, 30, was guiding a Chinese client to the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) Everest summit on May 18 when he saw the Malaysian climber clinging to a rope and shivering from extreme cold in the area called the “death zone”, where temperatures can dip to minus 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit)... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3222518/nepali-sherpa-saves-malaysian-climber-rare-everest-death-zone-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3222518/nepali-sherpa-saves-malaysian-climber-rare-everest-death-zone-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 May 2023 22:58:35 +0000 Mountains – their height, their mass, their climates and ecosystems – have fascinated humans for thousands of years. But there is one that holds extra-special meaning for many – Mount Everest, or Chomolungma as the Nepalese Sherpa people call it. A sacred mountain for some, for others the world’s highest peak represents a challenge and a lifelong dream. Seventy years ago, on May 29, 1953, that challenge and dream became reality for two members of a British expedition: New Zealander Edmund... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3222165/everest-challenges-mount-70-years-after-edmund-hillary-and-tenzing-norgay-reached-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3222165/everest-challenges-mount-70-years-after-edmund-hillary-and-tenzing-norgay-reached-top?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 May 2023 07:25:39 +0000 The search and rescue team looking for the missing Singaporean climber on Mount Everest were unable to locate him “despite their best efforts”, said his wife on social media on Saturday. In an Instagram post, the wife of Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya wrote a tribute to the 39-year-old climber who went missing after reaching the summit on May 19. Shrinivas had left Singapore on April 1, aiming to summit Mount Everest and then Mount Lhotse in a single expedition, said Sushma Soma. “He would have... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3222079/wife-singapore-man-missing-mount-everest-says-crews-unable-find-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3222079/wife-singapore-man-missing-mount-everest-says-crews-unable-find-him?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 May 2023 05:00:11 +0000 Vivian Ying Cai reached the top of the world last month and said the views from Everest’s summit defied description. The 33-year-old Hong Kong resident ticked off another of her climbing goals in May, but said she was not sure if the amount of help needed to complete the mission took away from the achievement. Those making their way to the top do so with Sherpa’s, fixed lines and oxygen tanks, and Cai said there was a “lack of emotion” once she got there. It made her wonder if reaching the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3222013/highs-and-lows-conquering-everest-leave-hong-kong-climber-vivian-ying-cai-wondering-if-it-was-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3222013/highs-and-lows-conquering-everest-leave-hong-kong-climber-vivian-ying-cai-wondering-if-it-was-all?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2023 04:30:14 +0000 A Nepali sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest for a record 28th time on Tuesday, an official said, completing his second ascent in just a week, as the toll in this year’s climbing season reached 11. Kami Rita Sherpa, 53, reached the 8,849-metre (29,032-feet) summit by the traditional southeast ridge route, said Nepali tourism official Bigyan Koirala, following his 27th climb last week. Pioneered by the first summiteers, New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3221505/nepals-kami-rita-sherpa-scales-everest-record-28th-time-death-toll-11?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3221505/nepals-kami-rita-sherpa-scales-everest-record-28th-time-death-toll-11?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2023 05:57:01 +0000 Rescuers on Monday continued an increasingly desperate search for a deaf Malaysian climber missing in the freezing heights of Mount Everest, Malaysia’s foreign ministry said, as the body of a compatriot who died attempting to summit was due to be airlifted down the mountain. With the climbing season little more than halfway done, the number of deaths at the world’s highest peak may have crossed 10 if those reported missing are confirmed dead. The death toll stood at nine last Thursday, and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3221438/times-running-out-desperate-search-malaysian-singaporean-climbers-missing-everest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3221438/times-running-out-desperate-search-malaysian-singaporean-climbers-missing-everest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 May 2023 11:54:25 +0000 A former Gurkha soldier in the British army who lost both his legs in Afghanistan has reached the top of Mount Everest, making mountaineering history. Hari Budha Magar, 43, has become the first double above-the-knee amputee to summit the world’s tallest mountain. The veteran arrived at Everest in Nepal on April 17, exactly 13 years since his legs were destroyed by an IED in Afghanistan in 2010. But he had to wait until May 19 to reach the summit and he was forced to spend 18 days waiting at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3221340/double-amputee-climber-makes-history-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3221340/double-amputee-climber-makes-history-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 May 2023 20:44:12 +0000 A Chinese climber died en route to the summit of Mount Everest on Thursday while a 59-year-old Indian woman was evacuated from base camp suffering an unspecified illness and died on her way to hospital, a government official and hiking companies said. Bigyan Koirala, an official at the Department of Tourism, said the climbers died in separate incidents. Details were not available. Lakpa Sherpa, a senior official of the 8K Expeditions company, said the Chinese national died in the so-called... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3221055/chinese-indian-climbers-die-during-separate-everest-expeditions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3221055/chinese-indian-climbers-die-during-separate-everest-expeditions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 May 2023 19:00:18 +0000 A US climber has died on Mount Everest, his expedition organiser said Tuesday, the first foreign death on the highest mountain in the world this season. The 69-year-old mountaineer was on an acclimatisation rotation at around 6,400 metres (21,000 feet) when he died on Monday. “He was feeling unwell and passed away at Camp 2. Efforts are underway to bring [back] his body,” Pasang Tshering Sherpa, of Beyul Adventure, said. Sherpa said bad weather was hampering the recovery efforts. Beyul Adventure... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/3219117/us-climber-dies-everest-becomes-first-foreign-victim-worlds-highest-mountain-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/3219117/us-climber-dies-everest-becomes-first-foreign-victim-worlds-highest-mountain-season?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 May 2023 07:05:54 +0000 Nepal has issued a record 454 permits to climb Mount Everest this spring, officials said on Monday, four years after at least four deaths on the world’s highest peak were blamed on overcrowding. Bigyan Koirala from the tourism department said it was the “highest number of permits” the department had issued, and added that numbers could rise further. As most of these mountaineers will attempt to summit Everest with the help of a Nepali guide, more than 900 climbers will be heading for the summit... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/3218197/chinese-climbers-get-bulk-everest-permits-nepal-issues-record-454-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/3218197/chinese-climbers-get-bulk-everest-permits-nepal-issues-record-454-season?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:30:42 +0000 Renowned Northern Irish climber Noel Hanna has died in Nepal while descending from the top of the treacherous Annapurna mountain range, officials said Tuesday. The 56-year-old adventurer was returning after a successful summit of the 8,091-metre (26,545-foot) peak when he died at Camp 4 on Monday night. “His body has been brought down and flown to Kathmandu,” Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks told AFP from Annapurna base camp. Hanna had summited Everest 10 times and climbed the highest point... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3217485/renowned-everest-climber-noel-hanna-dies-nepal-peak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3217485/renowned-everest-climber-noel-hanna-dies-nepal-peak?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Apr 2023 12:03:35 +0000 In 2003, three months before his son was born, John Tsang Chi-sing climbed Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. He looked in awe over the snow-covered peaks in the US state of Alaska, and dreamed of climbing the world’s highest mountain with his son. That dream was realised this May when he and his 18-year-old son, Bob Tsang Long-kit, summited Mount Everest – the father’s fourth successful Everest climb and a first for Bob. “I was overwhelmed with emotion,” says Bob. “I’ve watched a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3190809/father-and-son-who-climbed-mount-everest-training-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3190809/father-and-son-who-climbed-mount-everest-training-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Sep 2022 03:15:24 +0000 The world’s tallest mountain just grew by either three or 14 feet, depending on if you ask Nepal or China.   Mount Everest’s overnight growth spurt occurred after China and Nepal finally settled a long-running disagreement over the precise dimensions of the mountain. Prior to this week, Nepal had measured Everest at 29,028ft from a 1954 survey, while China had recorded it in 2005 as about 29,017ft.  Neither could agree on the height, with Nepal insisting the snowcap should be included. China... https://www.scmp.com/science/mount-everest-just-grew-overnight-paper-least/article/3113531?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/science/mount-everest-just-grew-overnight-paper-least/article/3113531?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Dec 2020 11:09:07 +0000