ネパール、エベレスト登山再開へ　コロナ禍で不確実性残るも

【カトマンズＡＦＰ＝時事】ネパール当局は7月31日、秋のトレッキングや登山シーズンに向け、世界最高峰エベレストなどを含む登山を再開すると発表した。新型コロナウイルス感染症をめぐる不確実性が拭えないものの、不振にあえぐ観光業界を後押しするのが狙いだ。（写真は資料写真）
　ネパールでは、大勢の登山家が通常は押し寄せる春のピークシーズンを控えた３月に国境が閉鎖され、数多くの仕事や多額の収入が失われた。
　だが全国規模で課されていた封鎖措置が先週緩和されたことから、文化・観光・民間航空省のミラ・アチャリャ氏はＡＦＰに対し、「登山やトレッキングなどの観光事業」が開放されると述べた。
　政府は、国際線の航空便の到着を今月１７日から認める方針。だが同国では今週、新型コロナウイルスの感染者が１０００人以上報告されており、累計感染者数は１万９５４７人に上る。
　アチャリャ氏によると当局は、来訪客が到着後に必要な隔離期間など、安全規定について「作業を進めている」という。
　同国最大手の登山ツアー会社「セブン・サミット・トレック」のミンマ・シェルパさんは、客からの問い合わせがあるが、到着後のどのくらい隔離する必要があるかを確認できるまで待機していると説明。「無為の春季シーズン後に遠征を実施できれば、登山業界で働く人たちにとっては救いとなる」と述べた。
　ただ登山シーズンには、エベレストといった高峰の麓にテントが立ち並び、登山家や支援スタッフらが狭いエリアで生活する。
　また高地では呼吸が困難なため、登山者の間で感染症が発生した場合、医療面でのリスクが高まることになる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/08/03-13:35）

Nepal has reopened its mountains -- including Everest -- for the autumn trekking and climbing season in a bid to boost the struggling tourism sector, officials said Friday, despite coronavirus uncertainty.
The Himalayan country shut its borders in March just ahead of the busy spring season when hundreds of mountaineers usually flock to the country, costing jobs and millions of dollars in revenue.
A nationwide lockdown was lifted last week, and Nepal is now open for tourism activities, including mountaineering and trekking. Mira Acharya of the tourism department told AFP.
The government will permit international flights to land in the country from August 17.
The decision comes despite over 1,000 new coronavirus infections reported this week, with a total of 19,547 cases.
Officials were working on safety protocols Acharya added, including for how long visitors would have to quarantine on arrival.
Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, one of the biggest Nepali expedition organisers, said that clients were calling, but were waiting to find out how long arrivals will have to quarantine for.
It would be a relief for mountaineering workers if we can run expeditions after an empty spring season, Sherpa said.
Tent cities grow at the foot of Everest and other peaks in the climbing seasons, with climbers and support staff all living in close quarters.
Breathing is already difficult at higher altitude -- adding to medical risks if there is an outbreak of any kind among climbers.
Lukas Furtenbach of Furtenbach Adventures said that they had cancelled all expeditions.
I think running an expedition now would be trial and error. Trial and error was never our strategy for expeditions, where we are responsible for the lives of our staff and our clients, he said.
Mountaineering experts say the September-November season is more dangerous due to high winds and lower temperatures, and the world's highest mountains see only a handful attempt to climb them.
Autumn summits on Everest last year were thwarted by a serac -- a block of glacial ice -- hanging dangerously above the already treacherous Khumbu icefall that climbers have to cross to reach Camp 1.
Last year's traffic-clogged spring climbing season saw a record 885 people summit Everest, 644 of them from the south and 241 from the northern flank in Tibet.
The season ended with 11 deaths on the mountain, with at least four blamed on overcrowding.
Only a Chinese team reached the summit of Everest from its northern Tibetan side this year after all other expeditions were barred.