Nepal tightening rules for Everest expeditions
The Nepalese government is tightening the
rules for adventurous individuals looking to
climb Mount Everest.
The South Asian nation has announced new
rules governing expeditions on the world's
highest peak, as it becomes more popular for
tourism.
Nepal, in responding to increased tourism
that has increased dangers and pollution, will
keep government agents onsite to supervise
climbing teams, and monitor their safety and
cleanup.
The once-lonely summit is now a tourist hot
spot as dozens, sometimes hundreds, of
people reach the top in a single day,
including 234 people on a single day in 2012.
Climbers have complained of long lines to
reach the top, exposing them to dangerous
conditions on the frigid mountainside.
Toronto resident Shriya Shah-Klorfine died on
Everest in 2012 after she spent six hours in
frigid, oxygen-poor conditions waiting for
other climbers to pass by on their way down.
'Save me' last words of Mount Everest
climber
The increased traffic has also had an
ecological impact, as climbers leave mounds
of trash on the mountainside. The cleanup
group the Eco Everest Expedition estimates it
has removed over 11 tonnes of garbage from
the slopes since 2008.
