After 10 dead, Nepal delays security measures on Everest

Taken in May last year, the photo above went around the world and caused a stir on social media: more than 800 people squeezed in a row 8,000 feet high (where the human body is considered to begin to lose its functions due to the cold) extreme and thin air) waiting for up to 12 hours to take a selfie at the top of the highest mountain in the world. Only last year, the undertaking towards the summit of Mount Everestkilled 11 people. Although the number is not above average, the image has mobilized mountaineering professionals, who for years have complained about the excess of inexperienced travelers on the route. These are, after all, the most frequent victims of exhaustion, the main cause of death in this type of endeavor. In August last year, the Nepalese government said it would tighten the rules for climbing. Now, he informs that the measure will not be valid for next season.

After the 2019 season - the fourth most deadly in history - weighed on the government of Nepalthe responsibility of having granted the record number of 381 permits (each at $ 11,000) for climbers of different levels to try their luck at the top of their main tourist spot - and source of income. The expeditions also count on the presence of Sherpas, native companions hired by the majority of Western adventurers for the undertaking; which resulted in the exorbitant line towards the top of the mountain. The possibility of regulation was even rejected by the director of the Nepalese tourism department, Danduraj Ghimire, who said that if the intention is to limit entries, it is easier to “end the expeditions on our sacred mountain”. The negative, for the experts, is due to the strong dependence on Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, in relation to tourism .

International pressure, however, has led the government to tone down. In August, tourism minister Yogesh Bhattarai made a speech of concern: "Everest cannot be scaled on the basis of wishes," he said, announcing the changes. According to the promised rules, climbers who want to face the task must prove that they have already climbed another peak of equivalent difficulty, while the organizing companies will be required to have at least three experienced organizers in each expedition. In order to prevent companies from excessively lowering shipping prices to compensate for the loss of customers (resulting in a drop in revenue for the country), customers must prove that they have paid at least $ 35,000 for the journey.

The measures, however, should only take effect from the 2021 season, so that this year's adventurers can prepare to face the queues at heights. In the words of the secretary of tourism, Kedar Adhikari, the laws need approval from other instances of the government and the authorities still need to “check if the expedition operators are OK with the restrictions”. The denial is disappointing, but not surprising: the government's intrinsic relationship with these companies (which in some cases even offer oxygen cylinders in half to customers) continues to impose itself on the safety of climbers.