Nepal to Tighten Everest Climbing Rules
In the heart of the Himalayas, where dreams soar as high as the mountains themselves, Nepal is drawing a new line in the snow.
No longer will just any climber with ambition and a permit be able to attempt the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. A new draft law says: Prove yourself first.
The 8,848.86-metre Everest is about to get a stricter gatekeeper.
According to the Integrated Tourism Bill registered in Nepal’s upper house of Parliament on April 18, any climber wishing to set foot on Everest must first have conquered a mountain over 7,000 metres.
This isn’t the first time Nepal has tried to raise the bar.
Back in 1995-96, the government had made it compulsory for potential climbers to summit a 6,000-metre peak before tackling Everest. But that rule didn’t last. As the number of climbers plummeted, pressure from expedition operators and foreign mountaineers forced the government to back down.
The bill is still in draft form and must pass through debates in both houses of Parliament. Officials at the Ministry of Tourism say changes are likely before the final law is signed off.
Still, what’s already outlined in the bill paints a clear picture: the government is trying to bring order, accountability, and safety to the mountains.
