Nepal has officially banned solo expeditions to all mountains above 8,000 meters, including Mount Everest, by amending its mountaineering regulations, according to the government publication, Nepal Gazette.
The sixth amendment of the mountaineering regulation was released late on Tuesday evening after which climbers were banned from solo expedition in all the 8000ers peaks, reports ANI.
As per the new regulations, every two members of a mountaineering team must be accompanied by at least one altitude worker or mountain guide. This rule applies to all mountains above 8,000 meters, including Mount Everest.
"When climbing a mountain peak with an altitude of more than eight thousand meters, every two members of the mountaineering team must be accompanied by at least one altitude worker or mountain guide, and when climbing other mountains, the mountaineering team must take at least one mountain guide with them," the lately introduced provision states.
The lately adopted changes also has formally publicised the hike in royalty fee for the foreign climbers attempting to summit Mount Everest from the standard south route in spring to $15,000 per person.
The spring season expedition which sees high influx of climbers in the Himalayan Nation from the month of March to May previously used to be $11,000. The new regulation also has increased the climbing royalty for the autumn season, running from September to November to $7,500 from existing $5,500.
Similarly, the Winter expedition which runs from December to February and monsoon from June to August also has been revised to $3,750 from existing $2,750.
The updated provision also has incorporated the revised fees for other 8000ers. The royalty of spring expedition has increased by nearly two folds from $1,800 to $3,000. The autumn fee now stands at $1,500 from existing $900 while the winter and monsoon expedition has become dearer as it has been revised from $450 to $750.
In regards to Nepali climbers, the royalty for normal route in spring season has doubled from Nrs. 75,000 to 1,50,000. Nepal in the year 2015 had revised the royalty fee by switching from a group-based system to a uniform fee of $11,000 per climber for Everest's spring season via the normal route.
In regards to the slew changes that the Himalayan Nation has adopted lately, the family members of the climbers, guides and high-altitude base camp workers are also banned from the base camp. In case of prior approval from the tourism department, the family members can be exempted for a stay at the base camp not exceeding two days, the new regulation states.
Additionally, in an attempt to curb pollution in high mountains, the climbers from this year's spring mandatorily have to bring their waste, including human waste, back to base camp for proper disposal. Climbers are required to carry biodegradable bags for waste collection in the upper reaches.
Nearly 8,900 people have summited the world's highest peak from Nepal's side since 1953.
The new provisions would come into effect from September 1 with the start of the spring expedition.
Source: ANI
Bd-pratidin English/Fariha Nowshin Chinika
