Climbers begin to return from Everest base camp

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Mountaineering officials says that climbers who stayed in villages close to the Everest base camp have started packing their climbing gear and are leaving the mountain because Sherpa guides have refused to rebuild a climbing route destroyed by the earthquake-triggered avalanche

Gyanendra Shrestha, an official at Nepal’s Mountaineering Department, said Tuesday that the climbers were moving down from the base camp area, although some are staying in the mountain villages to help the Sherpas and their families who had their homes damaged by the April 25 earthquake.

The government has not formally canceled the climbing season and climbing permits are valid until the end of May, but the Sherpas have said they would not rebuild the climbing route because of safety and time reasons.