National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

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New tourism regulations forbid minors from climbing Mt Everest and readjust fees for others

By A CORRESSPONDENT

Thanks to a new government regulation, no one can break the record set by Temba Sherpa as the youngest person to have reached the summit of Mt. Everest. The government has decided to bar climbers under the age of 16 years from attempting to scale the world's tallest mountain. The decision is believed to have been taken after an assessment of the risks children faced in their quest to reach the highest point on the planet.

At a time when there has been a sharp decline in tourist arrivals, the new regulation has come as good news for many in the industry. With Mt. Everest in particular having been opened to individual climbers, tourism entrepreneurs feel the new regulation would help Nepal attract more tourists.

According to the Mountaineering Expedition Regulation-2002 approved by the cabinet last week, each climber will be allowed to scale Mt. Everest after paying a royalty of $25,000. Fees vary with the number of members of the expedition. Under the previous provision, a group comprising one to seven members had to pay $70,000 in royalty to climb the mountain.

For the Southwest Phase and West Ridge, which are not the normal routes, the royalty remains unchanged at $50,000 for up to seven climbers. Under the new rule, a mountaineering team is required to deposit five percent of the total royalty with the government before obtaining an initial permit to scale Mt. Everest, and 10 percent in the case of other peaks. The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation hopes that Nepal's battered tourism industry would gain from the amendment to the 22-year-old regulation.

According to the new provisions, each group must have acquired insurance coverage before beginning the expedition. The earlier regulation did not require compulsory insurance. In the case of sickness and accidents, climbers had to face tremendous difficulty.

The new regulation also makes it compulsory for liaison officers to go up to the base camp. In case of complaints against his absence, such an officer will not be entitled to facilities and other benefits. The government would take immediate action against errant liaison officers.

The contact officer, representatives of agencies, trekking guide and expedition leaders are required to sign an agreement with porters. Each party is required to abide by the provisions. Action would be taken against

violators.

The regulation also paves the way for expeditions all-year round, in place of the season-based mountaineering concept, and sets a timetable in accordance the height and geographical location of the peaks. From now on, expeditions will no longer have to present certification from the concerned embassy or Alpine Clubs. Expedition members can apply directly to the ministry, saving time and money.

In recent years, environmentalists have been expressing concern over growing pollution in the mountains. Keeping in the mind the need to maintain cleanliness, the government has made provisions to seek between $500 and $4,000 from each expedition for the management of garbage. Previously this provision was applicable only to the mountains of the Khumbu region.

The regulation also revises the wages and other benefits for trained guides, base camp laborers, communication officers, and local laborers. The government has also revised the minimum insurance premium.

The change in the regulation may not seem very significant at first glance, but it is expected to help bring drastic changes in the lives of laborers and inject new life into the tourism industry. As the government has decided to open many hitherto restricted areas to tourists, entrepreneurs expect positive industry-wide changes over the long run.