KATHMANDU, May  3, 2024 (AFP) - Nepal's Supreme Court has ordered the
government to limit the number of mountaineering permits issued for Everest and
other peaks, a lawyer confirmed Friday, just as expeditions prepare for the
spring climbing season.

       The Himalayan republic is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks and
welcomes hundreds of adventurers each spring, when temperatures are warm and
winds are typically calm.

       The verdict was issued in late April but a summary was only published this
week.

       Lawyer Deepak Bikram Mishra, who had filed a petition urging permits to be
curtailed, told AFP that the court had responded to public concerns about
Nepal's mountains and its environment.

       "It has ordered a limit to the number of climbers... and also given
measures for waste management and preservation of the mountain's environment,"
Mishra said.

       The verdict's summary said that the mountains' capacity "must be respected"
and an appropriate maximum number of permits should be determined.

       The full text of the verdict has not been published and the summary does
not mention any specific limit to the number of permits issued.

       Nepal currently grants permits to all who apply and are willing to pay
$11,000 to scale Everest, the world's highest peak at 8,850 metres (29,035
feet) above sea level.

       Last year, the country issued 478 permits for Everest, a record high.
       A massive human traffic jam on Everest in 2019 forced teams to wait hours
at the summit in freezing temperatures, risking depleted oxygen levels that can
lead to sickness and exhaustion.

       At least four of the 11 deaths on the peak that year were blamed on
overcrowding.

       
       - 'Give it some respite' -
       
       "We are pressuring the mountain too much and we need to give it some
respite," Mishra said.

       The court decision also orders restrictions on the use of helicopters for
emergency rescues only.

       Helicopters have in recent years been frequently used to airlift
mountaineering teams to base camps and across hazardous terrain.

       Nepal Mountaineering Association president Nima Nuru Sherpa said that such
decisions need to be made after a proper study and consultation with the
stakeholders.

       "It is not clear right now how it will impact the industry. We don't know
on what basis the limits will be made and how will this be divided among
expedition operators," Sherpa said.

       "Our focus should instead be on how we can make the mountains safer."
       Nepal has issued permits to 945 climbers for its mountains so far this
year, including 403 for Everest.