KATHMANDU — Lakpa Sherpa has climbed Everest seven times. But he says this year’s season, which ended this week and was marked by coronavirus, cyclones and misinformation, was the most challenging of his career.
The pandemic forced a complete shutdown of Nepal’s mountaineering industry in 2020, dealing a harsh blow to the tiny Himalayan country’s tourism-dependent economy.
Then this spring, the allure of the highest peak in the world brought climbers rushing back.
Even as China’s side of the mountain remained closed, Nepal issued a record 408 permits to ascend Everest, worth about $4.2 million.
Quarantine restrictions were eased to promote the climbing rebound, but there…
Keep on reading: An Everest season like no other