Mount Everest expedition regulations: The Nepal government, in its revised mountaineering regulations, has formally ended solo expeditions on Mount Everest as well as other peaks above 8,000 meters. The changes, which kicked in on Tuesday, have made one mountain guide mandatory for two climbers. The current changes, published in the Nepal Gazette, are the sixth amendment to the Mountaineering Regulation. Notably, the previous rule underscored that one mountain guide was sufficient for a group of climbers scaling mountains above 8,000 meters.
What do revised regulations say?
According to the revised regulations, a high-altitude support staff or mountain guide will be assigned for every two climbers for peaks above 8,000 meters, which includes the world’s tallest mountain peak, the 8,849-meter-tall Mt. Everest. For expeditions of other mountains, the rule requires at least one guide per group, according to a notice published in the Nepal Gazette.
Director of the Department of Tourism, Arati Neupane, said that the government has made guides mandatory to ensure the climbers’ safety on the mountain, adding, “The amendment was made to minimise the risk associated with mountain climbing.”
The Managing Director of Imagine Nepal Treks stressed that the new regulation should have been made long ago, as it would have a positive impact on mountain tourism.
He added that the royalty to climb Mt. Everest should not be increased, as it would discourage expeditions from coming to Nepal.
Nepal hikes royalty fees to climb Mt. Everest
The Nepal government recently hiked the royalty to climb Mt. Everest from USD 11,000 per person to USD 15,000, which will be effective from September 1 during the spring season. Under the revised regulations, the royalty fee for foreign climbers attempting to climb Mt Everest from the south route in the spring season (March-May) has increased from USD 11,000 to USD 15,000 per person.
The climbing fee for the autumn season (September-November) has increased from USD 5,500 to USD 7,500. For winter (December-February) and the monsoon (June-August) season, the fee has increased from USD 2,750 to USD 3,750
(With inputs from AP)
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