Mt. Everest torch ascent delayed
Climbers taking a special Olympic torch up Mt. Everest were held up at advanced base camp, awaiting better weather.
Eager to avoid a repeat of the anti-China protests that marred the torch’s five-continent relay to Beijing’s August Games, China has kept the logistics and timing of the climb under wraps.
Sun Bin, Everest project manager for the Olympics organizing committee, confirmed, however, that the climbers had reached the advanced base camp on the Chinese side of the mountain at about 21,300 feet. He said the wind would have to die down before an attempt was made to scale the final icy slopes up to the peak.
The torch relay also took place today in Hong Kong, where cheering supporters far outnumbered protesters.
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