Sad News For Everest (Chinese building a road to base camp)

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/179479.aspx

Wow....this is sickening.

M

They probably learned from what North Americans did.

"The new road will begin at the base of the mountain in China's Tibet region and replace a rough 108-kilometre (67-mile) track that leads to the northern base camp, the Xinhua news agency reported."

It just doesn't seem possible. Assuming the road would follow the approach I've seen in the documentaries, etc: there are villages to move, rivers and chasms to bridge, cliffs to blast, drainage to grade, etc...

Hopefully it's "only" the Chinese reminding Tibetans who's (currently) in charge.

It certainly could be a disaster.

The numbers don't sound right.

Here it would cost far more than that to build a road half the lenght on flat ground and it would take years. I just can't imagine it coming to be in 4 months.

Sad, a "build it and they will come" mentality. Not that there is a real need. Next there will be a cog railway to the top. LOL.

The article says "to a base camp at 17,060 feet". Since Rongbuk Monastery (a common staging point for the N side) is at 16728 feet, the base camp is likely near by. Still something like a long day or two day walk to the nearest camps on the mountain.

Doug

Isn't this approach in Nepal?

This is a sad endeavor, if it is for real.

Um...

That is Pat Robertson's website with the report. The 4 months thing is possible if you follow his workout regimen and buy the carbo-loaded food he sells.

una_dogger said:

Isn't this approach in Nepal?

Click to expand...

There are base camps on both sides of the mountain. The Nepali one is the standard "tourist" route but climbers approach from both sides.

Anyone know the elevation change on the proposed road? Would it be drivable in one shot or would it cause altitude sickness (or worse) if not taken over several days?

Don't get me wrong, I am absolutely appalled and horrified; however, I hope that at the very least they'll clean up base camp and truck out the waste and trash that's accumulated up there.

EDIT: whoops, this is the north side, right? I'm not familiar with that base camp or its condition at all.

As well as what is bound to accumulate at an even faster rate with the road open...

GNR said:

That is Pat Robertson's website with the report.

Click to expand...

It's been picked up by all the standard media.

Here's my prediction: The Chinese have been getting some bad press lately. They make this announcement, meet with a few outraged locals and celebrities and then make the magnanimous offer to cancel the project. Everybody then books their trip to the Olympics feeling like they're not supporting a repressive government.

Oh great, now we're gonna have bumper stickers that say "This car climbed to Base Camp".

People should remember, like Doug and Dave have mentioned, that there is more than one approach to this mountain, there are different base camps, different ridges that you can attain the summit from. This is not the traditional approach that we hear about on the Nepalese side of the mountain.

I don't find this sickening at all. It is an improvement to a road in China. It doesn't affect any of us and it is built over an existing roadway. It will probably mean more access and more tourism revenue for people living along the route. It will have minimal effect on wildlife and the local environment since vehicles were already travelling this route to begin with.

I don't agree with China's political policies in regards to Tibet, and I certainly don't agree with the amount of industrial pollution taking place there, but this might make the route safer for travel and the citizens of that remote area might see their quality of life increase because of this road. Everest is a sacred and revered place for many, but I don't see this as such a disaster for world heritage. Sure, the money could be spent in many different and potentially better ways for the people of China, but just because you hear "road" in the same sentence as "Everest" doesn't mean it is automatically an evil thing.

The numbers don't sound right.

Click to expand...

Costs can be kept quite low when forced slave labor is used

I thought you could already drive to Tibet base camp, at least with army trucks.

Last winter I saw a slide show where a guy mountain-biked from Tibet to Nepal, many of the main roads there are now paved. He actually rode his mountain bike above Base Camp in Tibet on the route to Camp I but had to pay the peak fee to do so.

Bob said:

Costs can be kept quite low when forced slave labor is used

Click to expand...

Yes, something to be remembered when purchasing Chinese manufactured goods from wonderful American companies like Walmart, lol.

Chip said:

Here's my prediction: The Chinese have been getting some bad press lately. They make this announcement, meet with a few outraged locals and celebrities and then make the magnanimous offer to cancel the project.....

Click to expand...

Why? "Most people" will probably think it is a "Good Thing (tm)". Note that the readership on this forum does not typify "most people"

It's progress. Progress is good.

Having travelled twice across Nepal by bus on the only main road in the country, I can BELIEVE that roads like that take only four months to build.

Actually, I'm joking about the time frame. I think if this road goes through the toll of the losses will be huge and span many levels -- not just environmental but humanitarian as well, as I am SURE many lives will be lost building this road.

And once China gets a road built, thier mining aspirations in the Himalaya will not be far behind it.

RoySwkr said:

I thought you could already drive to Tibet base camp, at least with army trucks.

Click to expand...

Not sure.

I've read of expeditions which trucked most of the the way and used yaks the last part of the way. I suspect that how far the road reached depends on the date and the water levels at the moment.
-------------------------------------------------


Since there seems to be confusion about the routes:

This report refers to the approach from the north (Tibet). Most, if not all, go through Rongbuk Monastery, 20ish(?) mi north of Everest. Typical routes: North Col (easiest, goes up the 3 steps on the North Ridge), North Face, Hornbein Coulior.

The routes from the south all come in through Nepal. Base camp is usually alongside the Kumbu glacier. (Access via foot/yak.) Most routes go through the Kumbu Icefall into the Western Cwm. The easiest route from here is up the Lhotse face to the South Col and up the South Ridge to the South Summit and Hillary Step to the summit.

The East Face (hard, dangerous) is accessed through Tibet. (Climbs of the East Face are not ususally reported in the popular press.)

Doug

People are CRAZYYYYY!!!!!

una_dogger said:

... as I am SURE many lives will be lost building this road....

Click to expand...

When yo have billions of them, a life has much less value. Reality.

Can somebody awake me?
Please tell me, we are on April first?