Tourism Minister Bhim Acharya and Sherpa guides held talks at Mt. Everest base camp on Thursday (April 24th, 2014).

However, the minister failed to convince the Sherpa guides to continue their work as they said they would give a rest to Mt. Everest this year.

The Sherpa guides said they are still mourning 13 deaths and 3 disappearances triggered by the deadliest avalanche in the highest peak of the world on April 18. Hence, in such a situation, the Sherpa guides said they were unable and least motivated to carry out their works, which are highly risky.

The Sherpa guides, instead, requested the government to keep intact this year’s climbing permission of international mountaineers for the next five years, as reported by NepalNews.

Minister Acharya had flown from Kathmandu to the base camp in a bid to motivate the shocked and bereaved Sherpa guides to resume their work.

Some 1,000 individuals, including 600 Sherpa guides and 400 aspirant Everest climbers, have gathered at the Mt. Everest base camp for this year’s ascent, which is now uncertain.

Many environmentalists were long raising the issue of giving Mt. Everest a rest for every alternate year. This issue was praised as well as condemned.

In addition, the religious Sherpa guides, who worship Mt. Everest as a Himalayan deity, believed that the avalanche was due to the anger expressed by the deity and therefore, it only brings bad omen if the expeditions are continued even after the deaths, it is further learnt.