The Government of Nepal wants to improve mountain safety by deterring altitude-inexperienced climbers
A bill driven by the Government of Nepal, which reportedly enjoys the backing of a parliamentary majority, would make it mandatory to summit one of the country’s 7,000-meter peaks before attempting Everest. The draft, already submitted to the National Assembly (the upper house of Nepal’s Parliament), stipulates that anyone climbing Everest must have proven prior high-altitude experience.
The proposal is especially interesting for its deterrent effect: those seeking the quintessential Everest photo without sufficient altitude experience—and thereby risking the safety of fellow climbers, both Nepalese guides and international clients, not to mention their own—will think twice. In this way, climbing a lesser-known 7,000-meter peak may no longer seem so thrilling, and will also require a significant financial outlay. Remember that an Everest expedition starts at around $70,000, while scaling other peaks such as nearby Lhotse (8,516 m) can cost roughly $50,000.
Through this measure, the Government of Nepal aims to enhance safety on the mountain—an important step toward putting high-altitude mountaineering on par with other regulated extreme adventure sports, which feature stricter prevention measures and clearer rescue options.
It’s worth recalling that 478 climbing permits were issued in 2023, during which at least 12 mountaineers died and another five went missing on Everest. In 2024 there were eight fatalities. So far this season, up to today’s date, there have been no recorded deaths on Everest.
This is the most striking element of a broader regulatory package for high-altitude tourism in Nepal, which also proposes other measures—such as requiring guides to be Nepali citizens and climbers to submit medical certificates issued by Nepali institutions.
If you’d like to learn more, check out the first Sustainable Base Camp proposal we’ve developed at The NeverRest Project, or explore EverData, our pioneering platform that cross-references environmental and tourism data on Mount Everest and its surroundings.