Climbers back on Everest after avalanche disaster

KATHMANDU, May 13, (AFP): Two foreign mountaineers have returned to Everest after a deadly avalanche effectively ended the climbing season, flying by helicopter partway up the peak before starting their ascents, an official said Tuesday.
The female climbers, from the United States and China, took the rare step of hiring a helicopter that flew them above the Khumbu Icefall, where the worst accident in the mountain's history killed 16 sherpa guides, the air charter company said.
The climbers, thought to be the first back on the mountain since expeditions left in controversy over the April 18 disaster, flew from Everest base camp to Camp 2, skipping the section where the avalanche hit.
"Two climbers are heading up from Camp 2," tourism ministry official Dipendra Poudel told AFP. "There are also other climbers who have shown interest to continue their expeditions this year."