After a six-month lockdown, Nepal has decided to resume international flights and issue climbing permits to foreign groups, starting September 17. The opening also applies to restaurants, hotels and intercity buses. While this is great news, it may be too late for expeditions aiming for 8,000m peaks, except for one well-connected team — the Royal Bahraini expedition to Manaslu — that gained access in advance and thus won valuable preparation time. On the Tibet side, a Chinese team has also been allowed to climb Cho Oyu.
The Bahrainis flew to Kathmandu by charter earlier today. They have to remain in isolation for a week before moving on. Meanwhile, a large Chinese contingent set off for Cho Oyu BC on Monday.