MOSCOW, September 15 (HS/RIA Novosti) - Plans are underway to ban mountaineers without high-altitude climbing experience from ascending Everest, details of the proposed legislation are currently being drafted, Rajendra Lama, the secretary general of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, told RIA Novosti.

One of the most significant new measures is the requirement for prior high-altitude climbing experience for anyone planning to climb Everest. The goal is to ensure climbers possess sufficient experience at altitude before undertaking the world's highest and most technically challenging commercial expedition, the association official said.

The new law is still in the development stage, Nepalese lawmakers are debating how many prior ascents of peaks exceeding 7,000 and 8,000 meters will be required to obtain a permit.

According to the mountaineering publication Explorersweb, it is unlikely that the new rules will come into effect in time for the spring 2027 season.

The association also strongly recommended that climbers obtain comprehensive insurance covering high-altitude climbing, emergency helicopter evacuation, and, if necessary, repatriation costs.

Government fees for climbing the world's highest peak have also changed this year.

For foreign climbers using the standard route, the cost is now $15,000 for the spring season (March–May), $7,500 for the autumn season (September–November), and $3,750 for the winter and summer seasons, Lama said.

Thus, the fee per climber during the spring season has risen from the previous $11,000 to $15,000. The new fee system has already come into effect and applies to the current seasons.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar