Nepal will issue Everest permissions only to climbing climbing climbing at least one of the 7,000 -meter peaks from the Himalayan country, according to the outline of a new law that aims to reduce overcrowding and improve safety.
Nepal, which depends strongly on climbing, trekking and tourism to obtain foreign currency, has faced criticism for allowing many climbers, including inexperienced, try to climb the peak of 8,849 meters.
This often results in long rows of climbers in the ‘Death Zone’, an area below the ridge with insufficient natural oxygen for survival.
The overcrowding has been held responsible for the high number of mountain deaths. At least 12 climbers died and five others disappeared on Everest’s slopes in 2023, when Nepal issued 478 permissions. Eight climbers died last year.
Under the proposed law, an permission for Everest would be issued only after a climber provides evidence of casting at least one 7,000 -meter mountain on Nepal.
Sardar, or the local team chief, and the mountain guide that accompanies climbers should also be Nepalese citizens.
The bill was registered with the National Assembly, the High House of Parliament, where the ruler alliance holds the necessary majority to approve the project.
International expedition operators have urged Nepal to allow any peak of 7,000 meters, not just those in the Himalayan country, for Everest permission.
“This would make no sense. And I would also add mountains that are close to 7,000 meters to this list and which are widely used as preparation, such as Dablam, Aconcagua, Denali and others,” said Lukas Furtenbach of the Austrian Expedition Organizer Furtenbach Adventures.
Furtenbach, currently leading an Everest expedition, said mountain guides from other countries should also be allowed to work at Everest, as there are no enough qualified Nepalese mountain guides.
“It is important that mountain guides have a qualification such as IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations), regardless of nationality. We also received Nepalese guides with IFMGA to work in the Alps in Europe,” he told Reuters.
Garrett Madison, from Madison Mountaineering, based in the United States, also said that a 6,500 meter peak anywhere in the world would be a better idea.
“It’s very difficult to find a reasonable peak of over 7,000 meters in Nepal,” said Madison.
There are over 400 mountainous peaks on Nepal that are open to expeditions – these, 74 are higher than 7,000 meters, according to data from the Tourism Department.
However, not many of these peaks are popular among climbers, walked authorities said.
“Just a few of the 7,000 -meter mountains attract climbers,” said Tashi Lhakpa Sherpa of 14 Peaks Expedition, an important e -organizing expedition company on Nepal. Tashi climbed Everest eight times.
