Nepal puts an end to solo expeditions on Everest, other 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.

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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-metre-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 m.

“The government has made guides mandatory to ensure the safety of climbers on the mountain,” said Arati Neupane, Director at the Department of Tourism.