CNN —For the first time since the pandemic, China is allowing foreign climbers to access Mount Everest via Tibet. Rather than a tourism official or council in Beijing, all passes to use the Chinese route up the mountain, which is known in China as Qomolangma, are distributed by the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA). There is also no official announcement released by the Chinese government notifying the public that passes will be given out. Foreigners who obtain tourist visas to China must get an additional, separate visa for Tibet, which is a semi-autonomous region. Ballinger’s team will arrive in China on April 25 after pre-acclimatizing at home to save time.

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Persons: Adrian Ballinger, Ballinger, Ballinger’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Alpenglow Expeditions, China Tibet Mountaineering Association, Everest Base, Foreigners Locations: China, Everest, Tibet, Nepal, Beijing, Lhasa