Nepal will issue Everest permits exclusively to climbers who have prior experience scaling at least one of the Himalayan nation’s 7,000-meter (22,965 ft) peaks, according to the draft of a new law aimed at alleviating overcrowding and enhancing safety on the world’s highest mountain.
Nepal, whose economy heavily relies on climbing, trekking, and tourism for foreign currency, has faced criticism for allowing an excessive number of climbers, including those lacking experience, to attempt to ascend the 8,849-meter (29,032 ft) summit.
This practice often leads to extensive queues of climbers in the ‘death zone’, a perilous area below the summit characterized by insufficient natural oxygen for survival.
Overcrowding has been cited as a significant factor contributing to the high number of fatalities on the mountain. In 2023, at least 12 climbers perished, and another five went missing on Everest’s slopes when Nepal issued 478 permits. Eight climbers died the following year.
Under the proposed legislation, an Everest permit will only be granted after a climber provides verifiable evidence of having successfully ascended at least one 7,000-meter mountain within Nepal.
Furthermore, the sardar, or the head of the local support staff, and the mountain guide accompanying the climbers must also be Nepali citizens.
The draft law has been officially registered at the National Assembly, the upper house of Nepal’s parliament, where the ruling political alliance holds the necessary majority to pass the bill into law.
International expedition operators have urged Nepal to broaden the criteria for the Everest permit to include any 7,000-meter peak globally, not just those located within the Himalayan nation.
Lukas Furtenbach of Austria-based expedition organizer Furtenbach Adventures, currently leading an Everest expedition, argued, “That wouldn’t make any logical sense. I would also include mountains close to 7,000 meters that are widely used for preparation, such as Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Denali, and others.”
Furtenbach also contended that mountain guides from other countries should be permitted to work on Everest, citing a shortage of adequately qualified Nepali mountain guides.
“It is crucial that mountain guides possess a recognized qualification like IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations), regardless of their nationality. We also welcome Nepali IFMGA guides to work in the Alps in Europe,” he told Reuters.
Garrett Madison of the US-based Madison Mountaineering echoed this sentiment, suggesting that a 6,500-meter peak anywhere in the world would be a more practical requirement.
“It’s exceedingly difficult to find a suitable 7,000-meter plus peak within Nepal,” Madison stated.
According to data from the tourism department, Nepal boasts over 400 mountain peaks open for expeditions, with 74 of them exceeding 7,000 meters in altitude.
However, hiking officials noted that only a limited number of these 7,000-meter peaks are popular destinations among climbers.
Tashi Lhakpa Sherpa of 14 Peaks Expedition, a prominent expedition organizing company in Nepal and an eight-time Everest summiter, explained, “Only a select few of the 7,000-meter mountains attract climbers.”
