KATHMANDU: Those who have long been waiting to complete their 14 peaks above 8,000m after scaling Mt. Cho Oyu or Mt. Shishapangma in Tibet will have to wait at least another year, as China has reportedly continued its ban on foreign climbers running expeditions on the Tibetan side throughout 2026.

“We are canceling pre-booked expedition reservations for 2026 on Cho Oyu and Shishapangma after the Tibetan authorities conveyed that the Tibetan routes to these mountains would not be open to foreign expeditions,” said expedition organizers in Kathmandu.

The China-Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA) closed access to climbing peaks, including Shishapangma and Cho Oyu, alongside the north side of Mt. Everest, for foreign expeditions following heavy backlash and investigations over a controversial high-altitude fireworks display staged by Arc'teryx and artist Cai Guo-Qiang near Shigatse, Tibet, in September 2025.

“Many high-level officials of the CTMA and the Tibetan Sports Bureau have already been jailed for the controversial high-altitude fireworks, and authorities have been investigating rampant financial corruption by the officials while granting permits to foreign expeditions,” sources close to the CTMA said.

Climbers who have already completed 12 peaks above 8,000m in Nepal and Pakistan will have to scale Cho Oyu and Shishapangma from Tibet to join the coveted 14-peak, 8,000m club. “Not only 14-peak aspirants, but other climbers who had booked expeditions for 2026 are now having their bookings canceled,” expedition organizers said. Despite the ban on foreign climbers on the Tibetan route, local expedition organizers are, however, still running expeditions for Chinese clients on the mountains, including Mt. Everest.