Nepal's Supreme Court has ordered the government to limit the number of climbing permits for Everest and other mountains. Expeditions are now preparing for the spring climbing season. This was reported by UNN with reference to France 24.
Details
Lawyer Deepak Bikram Mishra, who filed the motion to reduce the issuance of permits, said that the court responded to public concerns about Nepal's mountains and their natural environment.
He ordered a limit on the number of climbers... and measures to manage waste and preserve the mountain's environment
The summary of the judgment states that the carrying capacity of the mountains should be taken into account and the maximum number of permits should be set. The full text of the judgment has not been published, and the summary does not contain any specific restrictions on the issuance of permits.
The court also ruled to limit the use of helicopters to emergency rescue operations. In recent years, helicopters have often been used to transport mountaineering teams to base camps, crossing dangerous terrain.
The President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, Nima Nuru Sherpa, emphasized that such decisions should be made after careful analysis and consultation with stakeholders.
It is unclear how this will affect the industry. We don't know on what basis the limits will be set and how they will be distributed among forwarding operators
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The Himalayan republic is home to eight of the ten highest peaks in the world and welcomes hundreds of adventurers every spring, when temperatures are warm and winds are usually calm.
Nepal is currently issuing permits to anyone who applies and is willing to pay $11,000 to climb Everest, the world's highest peak, which is 8,850 meters above sea level. Last year, the country issued a record number of 478 permits to climb Everest.
Recall
Nepal will require all climbers to wear tracking chips while climbing Mount Everest to reduce search and rescue time.