KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 9

The Everest Ski Project architected by top American climbers has almost ended citing a bad weather condition as the team reached Camp II via Hornbein Couloir route in Tibet.

According to a source at the basecamp, the Everest project team has given up from the Camp II as it faced adverse weather condition along the Hornbein Couloir route.

'A team of rope fixing Sherpa climbers today returned to the base camp wrapping up their plan to fix a route above Camp II,' sources confirmed.

The team reached Camp II but it decided to retreat after getting instructions from the project management, an official who closely monitors the expedition told THT from the base camp.

THT earlier reported that the million-dollar project had clouded in uncertainty after China delayed in issuing a ski permit to the team.

The project funded by the National Geographic Society and the North Face also faced challenges after China categorically denied entry into Tibet of two American climbers – Conrad Anker and Jimmy Chin. Conrad was designated as the expedition leader of the Ski team while Jimmy was the production head of the filming project.

Following the Tibet visa denial, Jimmy Chin stayed in Beijing lobbying with the Tibetan authorities including the General Administration of Sports of China to secure a ski permit. 'Without a ski permit, the project has no meaning.'

NatGeo/North Face Ski Project aimed at producing a film on ski descent from the top of Everest via Hornbein Couloir this autumn. The Couloir was named after a member of the 1963 US Everest Expedition, Thomas Hornbein.

Ski mountaineer Jim Morrison and award-winning cinematographer Mark Fisher also reached the base camp to attempt to scale Everest for the filming project. It's a project reportedly designed by Jim Morrison in memory of his partner Hilaree Nelson. Extreme American ski mountaineer Hilaree had been found dead after attempting to ski down from the summit of Mt Manaslu in 2022. 'Jim Morrison was scheduled to make a ski descent from the Everest top via Hornbein Couloir route,' Sources added.

The Everest Ski Project has locally been managed by Elite Exped, the guiding company owned by celebrated climber – Nirmal 'Nims' Purja.