MT QOMOLANGMA, Tibet: Zhang Zhijian, spokesman for the Chinese Mountaineering Team, yesterday announced a squad that will carry the Olympic flame to the top of Mount Qomolangma.
The team, consisting of 50 members, is composed of torchbearers, coaches and officials among others, Zhang said at a press conference in the Qomolangma media center located at about 5,040 m above sea level.
Zhang said the exact number of torchbearers will be announced soon.
The mountaineers and supporting teams comprise Hans, ethnic Tibetans and other ethnic groups such as Hui, Tu and Tujia.
"It (climbing the summit) is a collective job, nobody can do it alone," Zhang said. "We have prepared mountaineers, the torch development service, the weather forecast, the logistic service and a TV broadcast team. Everyone is doing his or her part."
Zhang also confirmed the official name of the torch relay on Mt Qomolangma. "The ascent is officially called the Beijing Olympics Torch Relay Qomolangma Leg, and the team is called the Chinese Mountaineering Team."
The torch has returned to China, with the first stop in Hong Kong yesterday.
The relay has been billed as the most ambitious ever, with a run up Mt Qomolangma being the highlight.
Sun Bin, chief of the Olympic Torch Relay Center Qomolangma Operations Team, confirmed the Olympic flame will follow the traditional route over Mt Qomolangma.
"There are about 20 routes to the top of Mt Qomolangma, but the traditional route along the north slope is among the safest ones," said Sun, a climber himself and a coach with the Chinese Mountaineering Team.
The traditional route, used by most climbers from the north slope of the world's highest peak, starts from the Base Camp with an altitude of 5,200 m and then heads to the Advance Base Camp, known as ABC, at 6,500 m. It then winds upward the summit with the help of three more camps respectively at 7,028, 7,790 and 8,300 m before scaling the top of Mt Qomolangma, which is known as Everest in the West.
"If everything goes well, mountaineers can climb to the top in four days," said Sun, who helped test the specially designed torch a year ago atop Qomolangma peak.
The Olympic torch was designed by a Chinese aerospace company to ensure that it stays alight at high altitude. Weather monitoring equipment has been set up on the Chinese side of the mountain to help ensure a successful climb.
The Chinese Mountaineering Team has scaled Mount Qomolangma more than 10 times since the 1960 debut.
According to measurements made by scientists in 2005, the altitude of Mount Qomolangma is 8844.43 m, 3.70 m lower than the figure obtained in 1975.
Source:China Daily
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