The climbers returning from Everest and other Himalayan peaks are finding it difficult to find an international flight back to their homelands, as Nepal has banned most of them in a bid to stem the Covid-19 pandemic amid rising cases.
Most scheduled flights were suspended for June after the deadly second wave of the pandemic hit the small Himalayan country, between China and India.
During the April-May mountaineering season, the Nepal issued 742 licenses – of which 408 to climbers aspiring to climb the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. And hundreds of climbers are now returning from the mountains before the monsoon season begins.
Tassi Lakpa Sherpa, a senior executive at Kathmandu-based private company Seven Summit Treks, said climbers find it difficult to leave the country with only five flights a week to limited destinations: India, Qatar and Turkey.
“The situation could worsen further as the missions are completed and the climbers return to Kathmandu in the coming days,” he said.
The American Andrew Hughes said that he had to pay too much for his ticket, on a charter flight to Qatar, as he could not find a place on a regular flight. “We are in an absurd situation because foreign flights are banned for foreign nationals,” explained Hughes, who returned from Mount Everest last month.
Mexican Viridiana Alvarez, who stayed in Nepal for almost three weeks after climbing Mount Anapurna, the world’s tenth highest peak, said she was lucky to find a place on a charter flight. “There is no reason for us to be here because we do not do mountaineering; it is a bit boring,” commented the 38-year-old, who will finally leave for Qatar tonight, as did Hughes.
The Nepalese government is defending its decision to suspend international flights due to the pandemic. “Instead of having no flights at all, I think that’s enough for now,” said Raz Kumar Tsetri, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAN). “If necessary, we will allow more charter flights,” he added.
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