Getting the authorization for the climb of all West Nepal summits that are below 6500 meters, with no restrictions and no fees, and with simplest procedures
This is the ambition this article is about.
An ambition that may be more challenging than the climb of Mount Everest with no oxygen.
Yet high ambitions are what mountaineering is all about, right ? Dreaming despite the unknown, the required engagement and the efforts, with sometimes failure and sometimes success at the end, this is what we mountaineers do all the time.
So we want to try, and we will try.
And hopefully we will succeed, with the support of you all !
And first from nepalese people, organisations and climbers…
2020 happens to be the « year of tourism » in Nepal, and might be the right time to go to Ministry of Tourism and promote this idea.
For sure this idea is a real change compared to status quo. In current regulations, only a limited number of summits is authorized, and for each summit a fee is requested.
Yet benefits of change could be huge.
TO REALY PROMOTE WEST NEPAL AS A CLIMBING DESTINATION !
The economic impact for West Nepal
First… As a consequence the economic impact for West Nepal populations could be very significant, we believe. West Nepal has so much suffered from a sort of discrimination compared to other Nepal regions. Only very few summits were authorized there. This, combined with lack of information and complicated & costly logistics, has led to little revenues for West Nepal populations..
To improve Nepal image in the eyes of mountaineers
It could thoroughly improve Nepal image in the eyes of mountaineers from all over the world.
An image that has deeply suffered from what is viewed as an excessive mercantilism in the exploitation of Nepal highest summits, as recently illustrated by pictures of traffic jams on Mount Everest normal route, with the accidents and scandals that come together with it.
Crédit : Nims Dai ?
Because Nepal has so much more to offer. Smaller, yet high and interesting summits, in other areas than Everest’s. Summits where alternative ways of climbing are possible, with reduced, “fair” means (no oxygen, no fixed ropes), that are accessible to more climbers, and that better respect the natural and human environment. Summits where true exploration spirit and the openings of new routes become possible again.
We are confident this could really boost West Nepal as a climbing destination for amateurs and professionals from all over the world.
The perspective of Nepal state and administrations
Taking now the perspective of Nepal state and administrations, the reform we envision seems rather easy to pass. It doesn’t require to rebuild the entire regulation system. It maintains the existing streams of revenues coming from the highest summits. And it shows that Nepal authorities are open to change and improvement –a very encouraging message for international climbers and the whole tourist community.
But this being said and understood, how do we now want to move forward ? How do we spread our ideas and build a momentum across countries, institutions and communities (professionals and amateurs)? How do we identify and join forces with local allies, in Nepal ? How do we build political weight ? How do we develop our concept into a proposal for regulation reform ? These are the questions we now need to tackle.
But, first, what do YOU think ?
And please, share this post to your friends…
Thanks in advance
With my highest Himalayan regards.
Paulo Grobel
September 2019
In Népal, and on the way to Lugula, a wonderful summit…