Liz Scarff today reported from Base Camp that restrictions on the Nepalese side of Everest are due to be lifted, allowing climbers to continue their attempts on the mountain.

The Chinese side of Everest has been closed for the season, and climbers on the Nepalese side have been banned from ascending higher than Camp 2 since May 1, while the Chinese took the Olympic torch to the summit.

Today at 9.16am local time, the 36-strong Chinese team reached the summit with the Olympic torch and unfurled a flag which read: “Welcome the whole world to this great Beijing Olympic Games.”

In Everest Base Camp, on the Nepalese side, climbers have been waiting anxiously for news that the mountain would re-open. The last few days have seen several Chinese jets circling the summit and rumours of their progress have been rife across Base Camp. A jet that flew overhead at around 6am local time today was the strongest indication yet that the Olympic torch had reached the summit.

Climbers come to Everest with one dream – to stand on the summit of the world’s highest mountain. This morning the relief that those dreams could still be realised was readable on every team member’s face.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes said: “There were so many false alarms that when the Chinese finally did get to the summit I didn’t hear any cheering in the camp. The only initial symbol we had was the noise of Chinese jet aircraft – we couldn’t see them but they were obviously flying around taking photographs of the torch.”

In what has proved to be a very different Everest season, the Nepalese army presence has enforced a communications ban and officers at the entrance to Base Camp have searched trekkers and climbers for unauthorised video and satellite equipment. Army officers trained in mountain warfare have been stationed above Camp 2 to enforce the ban on ascending higher, and were given permission to shoot if necessary.

Kenton Cool, expedition leader, said: “When we signed up for the climbing permit in April we actually consented to the mountain being closed between May 1 and 10. Although this doesn’t sound like much of an inconvenience, it is actually the prize time when we try to go up the mountain to acclimatise in order to hit the weather window, which will be coming from about May 15 through to late May.

“If we are not acclimatised it makes climbing the mountain incredibly difficult and also dangerous. This ten day embargo actually proved to be very awkward.

“Lots of teams are now concertinaing at Base Camp, all waiting to go up to Camp 3. I think what we may find, if we are not careful, is traffic jams and problems on the fixed ropes. Imagine 100 climbers trying to climb up one fixed rope – it slows everything down. You only need one climber who is not as proficient and all of a sudden you have a big bottleneck.

“On summit day, if you have a bottleneck at 8,000 metres it could potentially mean having to turn back without summiting, and also the danger of loss of fingers and toes as you get cold waiting.”

Team Marie Curie will leave Base Camp for Camp 3 on May 10.

by Marie Curie Cancer Care