Olympic Torch on Mount Everest?

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According to a recent Chinese news report, the track of the Olympic torch for the 2008 Summer Games (in Bejing) will include the summit of Mount Everest. Now, I'm not a mountain climber, but from everything I've been told, it's extremely dangerous to climb Mount Everest, and many people, even in modern times have died in the attempt. How in the heck are you going to get to the top in full mountain gear while carrying a torch? I mean isn't there a great danger of lighting yourself on fire with the torch? Plus, I hear winds on the top of Everest are routinely over 100 mph - how are you even going to keep the torch lit?

I found the link and edited my last post, but I decided it made more sense to include the link here as well.

[ February 09, 2006, 21:34: Message edited by: Aldeth the Foppish Idiot ]

 

That strikes me as a really, really bad idea.

Maybe for the 2010 games they can carry the torch through Baghdad. That might be safer.

 

Maybe they will use a helicopter. I also heard that the current torch is really heavy and it's pretty hard to even run with it properly (given that you have to hold it quite far out in front of you to avoid burning your face)

 

I don't believe there are any choppers capable of reaching the top of Everest, though I may be mistaken.

 

No, you can't get a helicopter to the top of Mount Everest - the air is too thin to maintain lift. That's one of the reasons many people have died there - they are so tired they can't go on and can't go back down, and there's no way to rescue them using a helicopter. I just can't believe this would even be attempted. I also get a kick out of the Chinese saying, "This is the first time anyone has attempted to take the Olympic torch to the top of Mt. Everest." Really? No kidding? I thought we did this all the time.

Here's the link:

Torch to Mt. Everest

 

You think chinese care to use their own to do this? heck, they did not invade tibet for nothing. (although i don't agree on the part that china did invaded tibet)

 

Not only that but the torch will be carried by none other than Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mt. Everest. He only achieved this in 1953 and was 33 at the time so it's believed he could easily do it again. The only problem they seem to be facing is finding a way to carry his walking stick, pick axes (2, one in each hand) and the torch at the same time.

 

Hey! Sir Edmund Hilary is a complete legend. If anyone wants to take his name a vain, they can come and deal with me first.

 

Maybe they could put a lightbulb in it instead of having it actually lit

 

But then how will they use that to light the flame at the stadium? Smash it on the ground?

 

Hmm, they could just put the lightbulb on it to go up Mount Everest, and then change it again at the bottom

 

They should just jack it because no-one likes the Olympics anyway . Booooring!

 

Finally! Someone who thinks the same as I do!

 

Ah, Sir Edmund Hillary, the World's Most Famous Kiwi. (narrowly edging out Frodo)

Actually, it's probably not such a big deal at this point. The main route to the summit is practically paved at this point, so many people have gone up. Not that it would be easy, but I'm sure they'll send experienced climbers, and think of all the film crews that have gone up already...

 

No doubt the person carrying it up will be in full survival gear, with oxygen, and about 100 support personnel. My big question is what happens if Mt. Everest has one of its month+ long 'storms' when the run is supposed to happen? Do they postpone all the games for weeks or even a month or more, just waiting for the winds to die down? How much fuel does that stinkin' torch carry, anyway?