Nepal has made headlines this week with its decision to relax its strict policy on permits to climb Mount Everest. Beginning this year, the government will issue Everest permits only to climbers. To be eligible, they need to have already scaled at least one of the country’s breathtaking 7,000-meter mountains. This decision comes amid increasing concerns over safety and overcrowding on the world’s highest mountain, which stands at 8,849 meters (29,032 ft).
Lukas Furtenbach, who is currently leading an expedition on Everest, praised the new regulation. He emphasized that the safety of climbers is paramount and highlighted a pressing issue: there are not enough qualified Nepali mountain guides available to meet the demand. In light of this, Furtenbach advocates for allowing mountain guides from other countries to work on Everest, stating that “it is important that mountain guides have a qualification like IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations), no matter what nationality they are.”
This 30-fold increase in tragic loss of life on Everest has prompted sharp scrutiny of Nepal’s mismanagement of climbing permits. So far in 2023, at least 12 climbers died on the mountain’s treacherous slopes, with five others still missing. The government issued a total of 478 permits for Everest last year, raising concerns about the high number of inexperienced climbers attempting the ascent. Instead, long lines of climbers clog the “Death Zone.” This impact creates a major threat to life due to lack of natural oxygen.
As the new permit restrictions were announced, international expedition operators raised their concerns over the industry-narrowing implications. They urge the Nepalese government to consider allowing any climber who has successfully summited a 7,000-meter peak worldwide, instead of limiting it to those within Nepal. Garrett Madison, an influential expedition leader, had an especially persuasive one. He suggested that climbers should need to have summited a 6,500-meter mountain at least once in the world as a more sensible standard.
Furtenbach has suggested broadening the scope of qualifying peaks. He further proposed counting mountains near the threshold of 7,000 meters, such as Ama Dablam, Aconcagua and Denali. He thinks the new routes would do a better job of preparing climbers for the real challenges to come on Everest. “That wouldn’t make any sense.” Furtenbach added that he would put any mountains under 7,000 meters on that list too. These summits have become a high-profile launch pad.
The changes come as part of Nepal’s ongoing efforts to address criticism regarding its approach to permitting climbers on Everest. The government has been criticized over the decision to permit so many climbers, including many without sufficient experience, to make the climb. As the climbing season gets underway, excitement is in the air. More importantly, they’re excited to start measuring the positive impacts of the new regulations on safety and access to the iconic peak.
