MT. QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet -- Mountaineers are eagerly awaiting the Olympic flame's ascent of Mount Qomolangma and have expressed their confidence in the unprecedented torch relay.
The Olympic torch is set to scale the Tibetan peak someday in May as part of the domestic leg of the relay for the Beijing Olympics, which start on August 8.
"It (the Olympic flame's ascent of Mt. Qomolangma) is a once-in-life chance for the Chinese climbers as mountaineering is not a competitive sport and hardly listed in the Olympic family, so the ascent can serve as an opportunity to make our own contribution to the Beijing Olympics. I really consider it an honor," said female climber Guisang, who scaled the world's highest peak in 1990 and 1999.
"The history of human mountaineering is the history of challenging themselves. The purpose (of mountaineering) complies with that of Olympics," she added.
The 51-year-old ethnic Tibetan, who has retired from the Tibetan Mountaineering Team and started a new career as coach, will have no chance to carry the Olympic torch to the top of Mt. Qomolangma, but she said the honor of backing up the climbing team is the same with climbing.
"It will be no problem to climb this time, because the Chinese Mountaineering Team has had enough experience while we have made much progress in logistics than before," added Guisang, who is now with the the Qomolangma media center and is in charge of the catering. "If I have time, I will go to Beijing this summer to enjoy the Games."
The Chinese Mountaineering Team has scaled Mt. Qomolangma for more than 10 times since its launch in 1960.
The peak that straddles the border between China and Nepal is respected as "Mother Goddess" by ethnic Tibetans.
