EXPLORER Sir Ranulph Fiennes's plans to conquer Mount Everest are in jeopardy after the Nepalese government bowed to Chinese pressure to ban climbing there in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
Sir Ranulph hopes to raise at least £2.2m for Marie Curie Cancer Care in May by climbing the world's highest mountain, a feat he came within just 500 metres of achieving three years ago.
But the project appeared to be in danger last night after Ch
inese officials, wary of protests ahead of this summer's Olympics, asked Nepal to close its side of the mountain.
Chinese authorities fear large numbers of climbers would cause safety problems in the area, but Nepalese tourism minister Prithvi Subba Gurung said their real fears centred on potential trouble during the Olympic torch relay.
"This is to prevent some people who could infiltrate and cause trouble during the time when they take the torch to the top," he said in a statement.
The ban is set to remain in force until May 10, five days before Sir Ranulph, 64, and his Himalayan guide Kenton Cool plan to reach the 29,000ft summit. But their mission would have to begin in April, so the pair are hoping to get the restrictions relaxed.
Mr Cool said: "If the mountain is completely shut until May 10, then our chances of a summit attempt are virtually zero.
"There is still room for negotiation with the authorities; we would only need a few days to stock camps and prepare."
Sir Ranulph last made an attempt on Everest in 2005, only two years after he suffered a heart attack. He climbed the mountain for 72 days but had to turn back when he felt excruciating chest pains. Yorkshire businessman Paul Sykes, who has donated £1m to help fund the new expedition, said: "This is really bad news. Ran and Kenton have been training hard in the Alps and we were really confident that they would reach the summit of Everest this time round, but now our hopes have been dashed.
"Our climb isn't about politics; it's about raising the extra money needed to expand Marie Curie's pioneering Delivering Choice programme to the whole of Yorkshire.
"Banning all climbing on Everest is not the action of a government that is fit to host the Olympic Games. This is definitely not in the sporting spirit of the Olympics."
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