Nepal: The number of climbers will be limited on Everest

Nepal's Supreme Court has ordered the government to limit the number of permits issued to climb Mount Everest and other Himalayan peaks, the lawyer who filed a petition in the matter told AFP.

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Deepak Bikram Mishra said that she “ordered to limit the number of climbers” on the highest mountain in the world, which rises to 8,850 meters above sea level, with the start of the spring climbing season in this country.

Nepal currently gives permits to anyone who wants to climb Mount Everest and is willing to pay $11,000. 478 were awarded last year, a record number.

The Supreme Court ruled, according to a summary of its decision, which does not provide any figures on the matter, that the carrying capacity of mountainous areas “must be respected” and the appropriate maximum number of permits set.

The decision by Nepal's highest court was issued at the end of April, but its summary was only published this week.

Deepak Bikram Mishra told AFP that the court responded to residents' concerns about protecting nature in Nepal, which has eight of the ten highest peaks in the world.

The lawyer stressed that in addition to limiting the number of mountain climbers, she recommended “measures for waste management and environmental preservation” in mountainous areas.

Every spring, when temperatures are milder and winds are generally weak, Nepal welcomes hundreds of people seeking adventure into its mountains.

A massive human traffic jam on Mount Everest in 2019 forced expedition members to wait for hours on Mount Everest in extremely low temperatures.

At least four of the 11 deaths recorded that year were attributed to overcrowding.

“We are putting a lot of pressure on the mountain and need to give it a little breathing room,” Deepak Bikram Mishra said.