KATHMANDU: A new law draft aimed at enhancing safety and minimizing crowding states that Nepal would only provide Everest permits to climbers who have climbed at least one of the 7,000-meter (22,965-foot) peaks in the Himalayan nation.
Nepal, which depends mostly on trekking, climbing, and tourism to generate foreign exchange, has come under fire for allowing too many climbers, including novices, to attempt to reach the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) summit.
In the ‘death Zone’, an area below the peak where there is not enough natural oxygen for survival, this frequently leads to long lines of climbers.
The high death toll on the mountain has been attributed to overcrowding. Twelve climbers lost their lives.
