Mountaineering

Nepal puts an end to solo expeditions on Mt Everest, other 8000m peaks

The Nepal government has formally ended solo expeditions on Mt Everest and other mountain peaks above 8,000 metres by making one mountain guide mandatory for two climbers, according to revised mountaineering regulations. The sixth amendment to the Mountaineering Regulation came into force on Tuesday after it was published in the Nepal Gazette, the government's official publication. The revised regulations require a high-altitude support staff or mountain guide to be assigned for every two climbers for peaks above 8,000 metres, including the 8,849 metres tall Mt Everest. For other mountains, the rule requires at least one guide per group, according to a notice published in the Nepal Gazette. Under the previous rule, one mountain guide was sufficient for a group of climbers scaling mountains above 8,000 metres. The government has made guides mandatory to ensure the climbers' safety on the mountain, said Arati Neupane, Director at the Department of Tourism. The amendment was made to

Nepal hikes Everest climbing fee to $15,000, brings new pollution measures

Nepal has sharply increased permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by 36 per cent and also introduced a slew of measures aimed at controlling garbage pollution on the world's tallest peak, officials said. Under the revised mountaineering regulations, the royalty fee for foreigners climbing Everest from the normal south route in the spring season (March-May) has been raised to USD 15,000 from the current USD 11,000 per person. The autumn season (September-November) climbing fee has increased from USD 5,500 to USD 7,500. At the same time, the permit cost per individual for the winter (December-February) and monsoon (June-August) seasons has risen from USD 2,750 to USD 3,750. A Cabinet decision to this effect has already been made, though the official announcement is yet to come, said Arati Neupane, Director of the Tourism Board. The new fees for climbing the 8848.86-metre peak will come into effect from September 1, 2025, she added. The revised regulations, approved by the Cabinet w

International Mountain Day 2024: Importance and why we celebrate the day

Every year on Dec 11, people observe International Mountain Day to increase awareness of the value of mountains in preserving the ecological balance of the globe and promoting human well-being

China fumes as India names Himalayan peak after the Dalai Lama in Arunachal

Beijing calls the move 'illegal' and reiterates its claim over the region as part of South Tibet

NIMAS team scales new peak, names it after 6th Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso

An expedition team of the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports scaled a previously unclimbed peak, at an altitude of 20,942 ft in the Gorichen range of Arunachal Pradesh Himalayas

Nepalese mountaineer Kami Rita climbs Mt Everest for record 30th time

This is his second ascent of the season, after his first on May 12

Nepal's mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa climbs Mt. Everest for 29th time

Nepal's legendary mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa made history on Sunday by breaking his record for the highest number of ascents of Mt. Everest as he scaled the world's highest peak for the 29th time. The 54-year-old veteran climber reached the 8,849-metre peak at 7:25 am local time on Sunday, according to Rakesh Gurung, director at the Tourism Department in the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. The expedition was organised by the Seven Summit Treks and had 20 climbers. They scaled Everest on Sunday morning, said Thani Guragain, a senior staff at the Seven Summit Treks. At least 20 climbers from Seven Summit Treks including Kami made a successful ascent of Mt. Everest Sunday morning, Seven Summit Treks said, issuing a statement. The climbing members were from countries including the USA, Canada and Kazakhstan besides thirteen climbers from Nepal. Kami had climbed Everest for the first time in 1994. Last year, he made two successful attempts to scale Everest for the 27th and

It's dirty now, says last surviving member of 1st team to climb Mt Everest

The only surviving member of the mountaineering expedition that first conquered Mount Everest said Saturday that the world's highest peak is too crowded and dirty, and the mountain is a god that needs to be respected. Kanchha Sherpa, 91, was among the 35 members in the team that put New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay atop the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak on May 29, 1953. It would be better for the mountain to reduce the number of climbers, Kanchha said in an interview in Kathmandu on Saturday, Right now there is always a big crowd of people at the summit. Since the first conquest, the peak has been climbed thousands of times, and it gets more crowded every year. During the spring climbing season in 2023, 667 climbers scaled the peak, but that brought in thousands of support staff to the base camp between the months of March and May. There have been concerns about the number of people living on the mountain for months on end, generating trash and wast

International Mountain Day 2023: History, theme, importance, quotes

International Mountain Day is a yearly celebration designated by the Unified Nations General Assembly. Since 2003, it has been observed annually to emphasise the importance of mountains in our lives

Coal India plans policy for financial assistance to future mountaineers

Coal India Limited (CIL) chairman PM Prasad on Sunday said they are contemplating a policy to provide financial assistance to future mountaineers. Prasad was addressing the inaugural session of Everest Summit' through video conferencing from Kolkata. The event was organised at the convention centre of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Ranchi, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Everest summit. Prasad said mountaineering is not only a difficult task but a costly one too. "There should be some funds for the purpose whether from the government or from our CSR. We are working on that for future mountaineers," Prasad said. As many as 14 climbers, who have successfully conquered Mount Everest, were felicitated during the inaugural session to celebrate their achievements. On the occasion, the climbers shared their experiences of summitting Mount Everest and inspired employees and other stakeholders. Speaking on the occasion, CCL chairman-cum-managing (CMD) director Dr B Veera Reddy sa

Indian mountaineers create history, successfully scale Mt Brammah-I in J-K

A group of Indian mountaineers created history by scaling Mt Brammah-I, standing at a formidable 6,416 metres, in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, an official said on Thursday. The challenging peak, known for its technical difficulty, has been a long-standing aspiration in the community since it was first scaled by British mountaineer Chris Bonnington about five decades ago. Brammah-I is a mountain massif in the Himalayas, east of Kishtwar town and near the border with Himachal Pradesh. It comprises four peaks -- Brammah-I, Flat Top, Brammah-II and Arjuna -- from west to east. Brammah-II is the highest of the group. The official said the nine-member team from West Bengal-based Sonarpur Aarohi Club, including skilled and eminent mountaineers, successfully scaled Mt Brammah-I on Tuesday. "This remarkable achievement marks the first Indian team to conquer the summit, making history in the world of mountaineering," the official said, adding that the route followed to conquer the

Nepal honours climbers to mark 70th anniversary of Mount Everest conquest

Nepal honoured record-holding Sherpa guides and climbers on Monday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. On May 29, 1953, Hillary, a beekeeper from New Zealand and his Sherpa guide Norgay scripted history by becoming the first human beings to scale the treacherous terrains of the world's highest mountain peak. Thousands of Sherpa guides and government officials participated in a rally here to mark the 70th anniversary. They waved banners that read "Save the Himalayas." Among those honoured include Sherpa guides Kami Rita, who climbed Everest for a record 28 times, and Sanu Sherpa, who climbed all the world's 14 highest peaks twice. Hari Budha Magar, who became the first double above-the-knee amputee to climb Everest, was also honoured by Nepal's Tourism Minister Sushila Sirpali Thakuri. On the occasion, a silver badge encrypted with the logo of Everest was distributed to dozens of Nepalese and foreign Everest

Climbers celebrate Mt Everest 70th anniversary amid melting glaciers

As the mountaineering community prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest, there is growing concern about temperatures rising, glaciers and snow melting, and weather getting harsh and unpredictable on the world's tallest mountain. Since the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) mountain peak was first scaled by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay in 1953, thousands of climbers have reached the peak and hundreds of lost their lives. The deteriorating conditions on Everest are raising concerns for the mountaineering community and the people whose livelihoods depend on the flow of visitors. The Sherpa community, who grew up on the foothills of the snow-covered mountain they worship as the mother of the world, is the most startled. The effects of climate change are hitting not just the fishes of Antarctica, the whales or the penguins, but it's having a direct impact on the Himalayan mountains and the people there, said Ang Tshering, a

Injured mountaineer Maloo to be flown to Delhi as his infection grows

The family of injured Indian mountaineer Anurag Maloo is planning to fly him to New Delhi from Nepal for further treatment as the infection is spreading in his body, a relative and an official of an expedition company said here on Tuesday. Anurag, 34, a resident of Kishangarh in Rajasthan, went missing in mid-April after he fell from around 6,000 meters while descending from Camp III. Mount Annapurna is the 10th highest mountain in the world. He was found alive in a deep crevasse at some 5800-metre altitude on April 20 after three days of continuous search by a team of rescuers. He was rushed to Manipal Hospital in Pokhara and then airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment. Sudheer, Anurag's cousin, told PTI that the family is planning to fly him to New Delhi for treatment but cannot say anything till all arrangements are done. His infection has spread and needs further treatment, so he will soon be flown to Delhi, an official at the Seven Summit Trek, the organiser of the ...

Nepal grants record 466 climbing permits for Mount Everest this spring

A record 466 mountaineers, including 40 from India, have been given climbing permits by the Nepal Government to scale the 8,848.86 metre Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world, this spring. Climbers aiming to scale the peak this season are from 65 different countries including Nepal, India and China, according to data released by the Department of Tourism. A total of 466 climbers from 43 groups have received the permit. Among them 368 are male and 98 are female, it said. This has broken the previous record of 2021, which was 409. The highest number of 96 climbers from China have got the permit followed by 89 from the USA and 40 from India. Similarly, 33 climbers from Hungary, 21 from Canada, 18 from Russia and 15 from the UK among others, received the permit. The number of climbers receiving permits from Nepal might have increased significantly this time as climbing from the Tibet side (northeast ridge route) is not permitted since the COVID-19 pandemic, Ang Tshering Sherpa,

High life in the death zone of the forgotten guardians of Everest

Sherpas have come a long way. A new book explores the tenuous link between their lives and livelihood

Himachal govt restricts trekking in high-altitude tracks from Sep 15

The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday restricted treks in high-altitude tracks above 15,000 feet from September 15 in the wake of the incidents in Kinnaur and Kullu districts. In a letter to deputy commissioners, state disaster management director Sudesh Mokhta stated, "As per the advice of the experts, the suitable timing for trekking events is advised from 1st May to 15 September for high-altitude tracks (above 15,000 feet)." Deputy commissioners (DCs) are the chairpersons of the district disaster management authority (DDMA) Mokhta urged the DCs to review the situation and put restrictions with effect from September 15 on trekking activities in treks above 15,000 feet, along with high peaks or passes that have a history of trekking-related accidents, in their respective jurisdictions. A trekker died, another was injured and three porters went missing at Khimlog Pass in Chitkul in Kinnaur district earlier this month. Four climbers from West Bengal scaling Mt Ali Ratni Tibba in

Uttarakhand: NIM to host national sports climbing championship from Aug 12

The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering will host the national sports climbing championship here from August 12-14

Nepali Sherpa woman climbs Mt Everest for 10th time, breaks own record

A Nepali Sherpa broke her own record as the most successful female climber of Mount Everest by reaching the summit of the world's highest peak Thursday.

Rajnath meets Tiranga Mountain Rescue team, hails 'Angels of the Himalayas'

Lauds civilian high-altitude rescue volunteers for saving army lives through avalanche rescue and training