Sherpas consider boycott after fatal Everest avalanche

Buddhist monks cremated the remains of Sherpa guides who were buried in the deadliest avalanche to hit Mount Everest, a disaster that has prompted calls for a climbing boycott by Nepal’s ethnic Sherpa community.

Nepal’s government said late yesterday it would consider the Sherpa’s demands for more insurance money, more financial aid for the families of the victims, the formation of a relief fund and regulations that would ensure climbers’ rights.

A committee formed with guides, rescuers and others will make its recommendations today, said Maddhu Sudan Burlakoti, head of the mountaineering department.