In an effort to make Everest safer for climbers and less crowded, Nepal is considering banning inexperienced and disabled climbers from making a summit bid on the world鈥檚 highest mountain,聽 on Monday.
The restrictions would prohibit聽people without experience climbing above 21,000 feet from receiving聽permits.聽Nepal鈥檚 tourism minister,聽Kripasur聽Sherpa, told the听骋耻补谤诲颈补苍聽that聽he hopes they聽will be implemented before the mountain鈥檚 busy spring season.
鈥淲e cannot let everyone go on Everest and die,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f they are not physically and mentally fit, it will be like a legal suicide.鈥
A number of accidents in recent seasons, including an avalanche in 2014 that killed 16 Sherpas, led Nepal鈥檚 Mountaineering Department to announce in February that it would implement better weather forecasting to improve safety conditions.
Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering聽Association, told the Guardian that he would support banning climbers younger than聽16 and older than聽75, but he did not support restricting disabled climbers capable of attempting the summit.
鈥淚 doubt this will be implemented,鈥 he said. 鈥淓arlier such plans were aborted because of pressure from human rights organizations and foreign embassies.鈥