The Everest leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay is one of the most challenging for Olympic organizers. Everest lies in Tibet where much of the torch controversies originated. Travel to Tibet is currently under tight control. For the media covering the relay, the challenges are even greater as they will only be in Tibet for 10 days and will have little chance to get used to the high altitude.

“To take a week or two, it’s acceptable, and to take three days, it’s ridiculous,” said Dr. Robert Schoene, a mountaineer and expert on altitude sickness at University of California-San Diego. “If you take low-landers who are healthy, almost everybody, at least 80 to 90 percent, would get acute mountain sickness in three days.

The Everest climb with the torch is to be broadcast live across China. They have already had a successful test run up the mountain. Perhaps it is the conspiracist in me, but I think at the first sign of trouble, they will have footage prepared from the trial run.