The story

Heavy snow and high winds have delayed climbers from carrying the Olympic flame to the top of the world's highest peak. Their window of opportunity is likely to close by the end of May, when annual monsoon rains normally arrive.

The flame rests in the advanced base camp at 6,400 meters (21,000 feet) above sea level, burning in a lantern designed to protect it from low-oxygen conditions of the high altitude. It was ignited from the main Olympic flame, which began a three-month trek through China Sunday following a global torch relay.

Chinese officials said at a Monday media briefing that winds gusts were measured up to 140 mph (225 km/h) on Everest's north slope, making a climb too treacherous to attempt. A snow storm buried camps erected along the route, an official said. Read full article »

Journalist Tomas Etzler contributed to this report.

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