As planned, the Chinese team of eight surveyors summited Everest today, after their guides fixed the route yesterday.
They left Camp 3 (8,300m), which they had reached around 4pm yesterday, at 2:10am today, and reached the summit at 11am local time.
They erected a surveyor’s beacon on the summit. Together with the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite receivers, 3D interactive virtual reality, an airborne gravimeter, snow-depth radar and other instruments, it will measure the exact height of Everest.
Chinese climbers on Everest’s Second Step today. Photo: Xinhua
News is presently expected of the safe descent of the guides who summited yesterday. They reportedly reached the top quite late — 4:35 pm — before heading down. It is unclear whether they stopped at Camp 3 or lower.
The expedition missed by two days the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest via its north side by Chinese climbers. Nevertheless, a new stamp printed by China Post and worth 1.20 yuan ($0.17) pays tribute to the event.
New stamp by China Post commemorating the first ascent of Everest via its north side by Chinese climbers.
On May 25, 1960, Wang Fuzhou, Qu Yinhua and Konbu became the first Chinese to summit Everest, and the first climbers to successfully complete Mallory and Irvine’s original route on the mountain’s north side.
