When will the Olympic torch reach the summit? Photograph by Paula Bronstein, Getty Images

Reports out of Tibet indicate that the Olympic torch has begun its journey to the summit of Mount Everest in the hands of 31 Chinese mountaineers. Exactly where it is and when it will arrive on top is unknown but a newsflash on Everest News indicates that the torch is at an upper camp at 27,390 feet (8,300 meters), about 550 meters below the summit. If this is so, the passing of the torch would be by midnight and the next wave of climbers would carry it to the summit, reaching the top by midday tomorrow, May 1. The weather is, however, extremely windy along the North Ridge of Everest, which could hamper the climbers. Another unconfirmed report says that the summit bid has been delayed because of the winds.

An up-to-date forecast from Everest News indicates that good weather windows will open on May 3 and 6, offering the best days to summit should they not climb tonight and tomorrow. Forecasters also say a major storm from the Bay of Bengal that was expected to hit the mountain, will now miss it. For now though it appears the Chinese will take the first available opportunity to tote the torch to the top, rather than wait for ideal weather.

The torch being carried up Everest, like the other one being carted around the world, is designed to burn in the oxygen-deprived air of the Himalayas and is encased in a special windproof aluminum carrier. It’s supposedly able to withstand some wind without blowing out, so maybe they’re waiting for calmer conditions because it would be darn embarrassing to have the thing whiff out just before the summit photo op!

After the protests that dogged the flame across the world, the Chinese appear determined to control all the information coming from Tibet about the expedition. Even the foreign journalists at base camp know nothing about what’s going on. Jonah Fisher, a BBC reporter, notes in his blog, “Every question about the torch is stonewalled. Having invited us here to cover the ascent of the flame, the Chinese appear to have taken fright. It now seems that they only want us to report the victorious summit moment. We may never know if there were failed attempts, or indeed if someone hurt themselves trying for the top. The only fact we possess is that the flame is somewhere in the area.”

Whether or not you agree or disagree with the Chinese crackdown on Tibet and other protests, it will be a landmark feat for the Olympic torch to journey to the highest point on earth. Maybe it will spark some peace on earth for a change. One can only hope. As Wang Yongfeng, head of the China Mountaineering Association, says, "Regardless of the weather, we must get the sacred flame of the Olympics to shine over Mount Qomolangma.”