KATHMANDU, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Nepal has banned solo expeditions to all the mountains above 8,000 meters inside the country, including the world's tallest Mount Qomolangma, an official said on Wednesday.

The government has made it mandatory for all climbers to be backed by a guide in the expeditions by amending the mountaineering regulations, said Liladhar Awasti, director at the Department of Tourism.

"The move was taken to ensure the safety of the climbers on the peaks above 8,000 meters," Awasti told Xinhua.

The South Asian country announced in January that it would raise climbing permit fees for Mount Qomolangma which straddles Nepal and China, with the fee for foreigners hiked to 15,000 U.S. dollars from 11,000 dollars from Sept. 1 for the spring climbing season.

Nepal has eight globally-recognized peaks above 8,000 meters. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)