Two surveyors in team heading to world's highest peak

A Chinese mountaineering team on Monday released a list of 12 people, including two surveyors, who will climb to the peak of Mount Qomolangma.

Chen Gang and Wang Wei, both of whom are surveyors from the Ministry of Natural Resources, are on the list. If either of them manages to arrive at the peak, it will set a record for Chinese surveyors setting foot on the world's highest mountain peak, according to the team.

At age 49, Chen is also the oldest person on the list.

The names of a support squad and a backup squad were also released on Monday.

Team leader Tselok said three members of the peak-climbing squad, including Chen and Wang, have no experience in mountain climbing at altitudes over 8,000 meters, so if any of them has trouble, the back-up squad members will replace them and continue the climb.

If everything goes smoothly, they will arrive at the peak on May 22 to conduct surveys in gravity, global navigation satellite systems, weather and depths of ice and snow.

The 35-member team planned to head to the peak on May 12 but was delayed due to bad weather.