By Guo Tingting. The mountaineering team of China University of Geosciences has been on an expedition for over a month. They had originally planned to summit Mount Everest in mid-May, but due to recent severe weather conditions, which made climbing inadvisable, the team has had to pause its mission. Yesterday, when contacted by our reporter, it was learned that the team members have retreated to the base camp for rest and are waiting for a suitable opportunity to continue the climb.
It is understood that this year's weather on Everest has seen higher temperatures than usual, with avalanches and falling rocks occurring frequently during the route-fixing period. Recently, on the southern side of Everest, after two Sherpa guides were killed during the climb, news of a halt in climbing activities on the south side emerged. Known as the "Prince of the Himalayas," Russell Brice announced the cancellation of his ongoing expeditions to Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse. He predicts that there will likely be another major avalanche in the near future.
Although the CUCC mountaineering team chose to climb from the northern slope, the weather there has also been severe recently. The team has decided to take a temporary break and wait for a more favorable window. Cao Zhikai, the team’s media liaison, told reporters that over the past few days, the weather on the northern side of Everest has been extremely cold with strong winds, making climbing unsafe. Yesterday, their group of 12 climbers withdrew from the mountain and returned to Dingri County.
On May 6, Lei Yalin, Vice President of China University of Geosciences (Beijing), and Xing Xiangqin, Vice President of China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), led a team to visit the climbers at the CUCC Everest base camp. They not only brought greetings from faculty and students across the university but also delivered hometown favorites such as Zhou Hei Ya (spicy duck) and hot dry noodles. They encouraged the climbers to face the challenges bravely and believe in victory. Currently, the morale of the team members remains stable.
It is understood that the climbing date has not yet been finalized and will depend on the weather. According to the plan, they are expected to return to Everest around the 10th and will look for an opportunity to ascend. The preliminary plan is for three team members to attempt the summit, one of whom may be female.