Govt preparing to open 103 new peaks for expedition

KATHMANDU, March 22:

The government is planning to open 103 new peaks, including the Yalung Khang West (8,077 meters) in the Kanchanjunga massif, for commercial expedition.

A technical team led by Madhu Sudan Burlakoti, chief of Tourism Industry Division under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), has recommended to the cabinet to open the peaks for expedition.

The committee selected the peaks in consultation with Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and mountaineering expedition operators. The peaks range from 6,019 meters to 8,077 meters.

“We have already conducted detailed study of all the peaks,” Burlakoti said, adding, “The government might handover the peaks to the private sector for better marketing and promotion.”

The ministry has already started discussion with the concerned stakeholders to prepare modality for allowing private sector to manage the peaks. “But we need to forge consensus among Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) due to security reasons and Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MoEST) due to environmental reasons before allowing the private sector to manage the peaks,” Mohan Krishna Sapkota, joint secretary of MoCTCA, told Republica. “Adventure enthusiasts will have more options once the new peaks are opened.”

Sapkota also said it would give a boost to the Nepali mountaineering sector.

Though there are more than 1,500 mountains peak in the country, the government has opened only 326 of them for commercial expedition. The government had opened 122 new peaks in 2002 and nine more in 2004. Since then, no new peak has been opened.

“Alpine clubs and expedition operators had long been demanding with the government to open news peaks,” Ang Tsiring Sherpa, president of NMA said. “The new peaks will obviously attract trekkers and climbers from around the world.”

NMA manages 33 of the 326 peaks opened for commercial expeditions.

Source: Republica