Climbers on Everest have been virtually cut off from the outside world after the Nepalese Army confiscated their laptops, cameras and satellite phones to prevent protests against Chinese rule in Tibet while the Olympic torch is carried to the summit.

The mountaineers, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the British adventurer, are forbidden from staying higher than Camp 2 until May 10, when the torch is expected to reach the top of the world’s highest peak.

Nepal imposed the restrictions under pressure from China, which has closed its side of Everest to prevent protests during the torch’s ascent.

Climbers on the Nepalese side can use radios to communicate with each other, although their conversations are monitored by military “liaison officers” assigned to each expedition.

They can ask for permission to use their satellite phones, but must speak in front of the officers.

The only other way to communicate with loved ones, sponsors or fans is by sending runners with handwritten messages to Gorak Shep, the nearest village below base camp, where the rules do not apply.

“It’s back to the days of Hillary and Tenzing,” one expedition organiser told The Times from Kathmandu, asking not to be identified.

The regulations are irksome for climbers with corporate sponsors, who usually demand daily blog updates, or for those trying to raise money for a cause. Sir Ranulph is raising £3 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

“Mountaineering is always risky but it is usually events such as avalanche or bad weather that can hamper an expedition,” he wrote in his last blog on April 15. “This year, unexpectedly, the challenge has come from China.”