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Individual Everest permits also extended for 5 years

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The government has made amendment to Mountaineering Regulations, allowing mountaineers, who took individual permits to climb Mt Everest in spring last year, to use the permit over the next five years.

Earlier, the government had extended validity of only group permits. But the decision had draw flak from mountaineers who said it was not possible for all members in the team to gather at the same time for the expedition. Minister of General Administration Lal Babu Pandit said that the cabinet has decided to allow individual climbers to use their climbing permits over the next five years.

everest_2008_1296

A total of 334 climbers of 32 expedition teams, including a Nepali team, had received permits to climb Mt Everest last year. The climbers, however, are required to pay US$ 1,000 to the Department of Tourism (DoT) based on the new royalty structure. The government reduced royalty fee for foreigners climbing Mt Everest from normal route, also known as the South East Ridge, to $11,000 per person from $25,000 per person with effect from January1, 2015.

All expedition teams called off their expedition after a deadly avalanche near Camp II of Mt Everest killed 16 Sherpa guides in April last year. “With the amendment in Mountaineering Regulations, we are hopeful that the number of mountaineers on Mt Everest will increase this year. We will see new climbers as well as those who had cancelled their trip last year,” Pushpa Raj Katuwal, chief of Mountaineering Section at DoT, told Republica.

According to Katuwal, the government has issued climbing permits to five teams so far. Meanwhile, DoT will send two liaison officers who will man the government’s contact office at the Everest Base Camp for the entire climbing season. The government has already prepared Terms of Reference (ToR) for the liaison officers.

“With this arrangement, we believe climbers will feel much safer. Also, they can get the required information in time,” he added. The liaison officers will provide weather updates, coordinate rescue operations in case of emergencies and settle disputes arising among climbing parties.

The government has changed climbing route slightly this year to avoid the where avalanche hit mountaineering workers last year. According to the department, climbers will have to deviate around 40 meters right of the regular trail which will extend the trip to Camp I by around two hours.

“In case the government reduces climbing permit fee in the next five years, we will refund the climbers accordingly,” Tulsi Prasad Gautam, director general of DoT, said.

Source: Republica

Sagarmatha National Park’s entry fee Increased

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The Sagarmatha National Park entry fee has been increased by 13%  effective from Monday, 16th March 2015. According to the office of Sagarmatha National Park at Jorosalle, the increment was done based on the Financial law of Nepal 2071. Although the new rate was  restructured  from 1st March,  the new  increment  has been implemented  only from 15th March in the Khumbu area.

Everest-KalaPatthar

With the increment, the entry fee for visitors from SAARC countries  will be  Rs.1615 whereas the visitors from the third country need to pay  Rs. 3390 and for Helicopter landing , it will charge Rs. 2260 . However,  the entry fee for porter will remain the same. According to the office, the entry fee for porters was increased last year only.

Nepali man hoists national flag atop Mt Aconcagua

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  • ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    This trek is the one of best views of annapurna range, nilgiri , Dhaulagiri , Tukuche peak , Dhampus peak , Hiunchuli ,Machhapuchhre , Gangapurna, Lamjung Himal other many more greatest views of mountains you never seen before.
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    KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
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    DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
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    08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
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    EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    Sagamartha (Everest) Base Camp trek takes us into one of the most spectacular regions of Nepal where the Sherpa culture thrives amongst the highest peaks in the world.
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    KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash (6714m) is the most sacred mountain in Asia.
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    KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash, the sacred mountain and the abode of the Hindu god Shiva is one of the world's greatest pilgrimage destinations especially for Hindus, Buddhist, Jains and others.
  • MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu temples of God Vishnu.

Runner and climber Sanjaya Pandit from Pyuthan district has hoisted the Nepali flag atop the Mount Aconcagua in South America.

The resident of Tikura from Pyuthan Municipality-9, Pandit climbed the 6,962 metre tall peak on Friday.

He was clad in daura suruwal and bhadgaunle cap, traditional Nepali dress, during the climb.

Talking to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti, Pandit said, “I’m on a campaign to scale famous peaks of the world, and mounting peaks in South America is technically difficult.”

Source: The Himalayan Times

Trekking in Himalayas Nepal

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Trekking in Himalayas Nepal

Nepal is the ultimate destination for the trekking enthusiast-offering a myriad of possibilities from the short and easy to the demanding challenges of the snowy peaks. Easy, moderate or rigorous-there is something for every palate. Nepal har aptly been called “A Trekkers Paradise” as her terrain-mountains, hills and the Terai-offers some of the most spectacular trekking routes in the world. The immense contrasts in trekking routes in the world. The immense contrasts in altitudes and climates found here support an equality spectacular mix of lifestyles, vegetation and wildlife. Trekking in Nepal is as much a cultural experience as a Himalayan adventure. In the shadows and foothills of the icy pinnacles of the Himalaya, one passes picturesque charming villages inhabited by diverse ethnic groups. Treks vary from expeditions, high altitude treks to simply easy paced walks.

Trekking-in-Nepal

Trekking is another word for walking. The treks are focused in Annapurna, Everest, Langtang, Rolwaling, and restricted areas such as Dolpo, mysterious Mustang, Jumla ( Rara Lake ), Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Arun Valley , Manaslu and Larke La Pass and many new discovered unbeaten trails. However, the word trekking has become more well known for the kind of walking which takes you along trails winding up, down, over and around mountains.

Trekking is not mountaineering although some of the popular trails are used by mountaineering expeditions to get to their base camps. Most of the trails you will walk on are still used predominantly by Nepali people for everyday travel and trade. It is not uncommon to be passed along the way by a Nepali porter carrying lengths of corrugated roofing iron slung from a jute strap (namlo) around the head or a sick relative being carried in a basket (doko) in the same manner to the nearest medical facility.

Annapurna-Base-Camp-Trekking

Samrat Tours & Travels offers some of the best treks depending on the interest of the client. From hikes lasting three to four days to trekking in the restricted areas which may last longer than a month. Samrat Tours & Travels family is ready to serve you and make your holiday dream come true with some fine arrangements, government registered and will differ with its rescue services in case.

The “New” Route on Everest

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The “New” Route on Everest

This past week, there has been extensive media coverage of a “new” route on Everest. Once again, shallow journalism has misstated reality. The fact is there not a totally new route but rather a small change within the Khumbu Icefall that amounts to about 4% of the traditional Southeast Ridge route being affected.

The BBC is mostly responsible for this headline with their article and other outlets picking it up and simply parroting the story. In the first version, since changed, the BBC article as I read it, suggested the route was to no longer traverse through the Icefall at all. While theoretically possible to avoid the Icefall by climbing from Lhotse’s East Face or traversing the flanks of Nuptse, it is practically impossible.

Everest-new-route

All of the coverage is driven by the tragic deaths of 16 mountain workers on April 20, 2014 from a release of an ice serac off the West Shoulder of Everest into the Khumbu Icefall. The route is installed and maintained by a team of dedicated Sherpas under the direction of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), Each client pays $600 as part of their permit for this service. For the last two decades or so, the route went directly underneath the fall line of a serac (the bottom of a hanging glacier) thus increasing the exposure to anyone in the area if the serac released.

The route had migrated towards the West Shoulder from a safer but longer route in the center of the Icefall to accelerate the climb through the Icefall for workers and clients alike. Almost every year the serac had released thus the danger was well known, but accepted by most of the workers in order to move faster. Western guide companies, led by Russell Brice, had asked for a safer route for years but their request fell on deaf ears. Brice even canceled his 2012 season based on this danger. After the 2014 tragedy and with immense pressure from the Nepal Government, operators, world media and climbers, the SPCC re-evaluated the current route and is planning – note future tense – to shift the route away from the West Shoulder and more towards the center for the upcoming 2015 season.

Everest-basecamp-new-route

The current estimate is to move the route about 150 feet towards Nuptse and the center of the Icefall from last years position. This may not be far enough if a larger release occurs than last year’s.

The Icefall is approximately 1,500 feet long and the section in danger is maybe 500 feet of that. The total route from Everest Base Camp to the summit is 11,535 feet so we are talking about 4% of the route. There are few good options for climbing through the Icefall. The center of a glacier moves the fastest and has tall seracs and ice blocks that shift without warning. By moving the route to the climber’s right as seen from EBC, climbers are exposed to avalanches and serac releases from Nuptse. In general, the Icefall is estimated to move 3 feet or 1 meter a day.

In all cases, the higher one goes in the icefall, the more jumbled and dangerous it becomes. Ladders are commonly used to scale high ice walls.

Pete Athens, 7 time Everest summiter, was interviewed on NPR in an objective, non-sensationalize style. He had recently returned from Everest to work with the SPCC on the proposed route change. Click this link to listen to his interview. He also said:

We had a much colder season this year. We had more snow, and I think that that bodes well, actually, for the icefall. If there’s greater coverage, if there’s greater snow, I think we actually see the icefall route be somewhat more predictable.

everest_2008_1296

From other sources, it appears using helicopters to ferry gear into the Western CWM has not been approved by the Nepal government for environmental reasons.

The modified route will make the climb from Everest Base Camp to Camp 1 in the Western CWM longer by about an hour according to some estimates.

Finally these stories of a “new” route have provided a platform for those wanting to promote climbs from Tibet. The following table is an objective look at the statics from the Himalayan Database comparing the deaths of hired, their term for mountain workers, who went above their respective base camps and died. This covers the time frame from the first deaths in 1922 on the Tibet side to last year’s 19 total worker deaths on the Nepal side.

Above Base Camp Deaths %
North 3,419 23 0.7%
South 6,800 61 0.9%
Total 10,219 84 0.82%

So with all this pre-climb publicity, the world’s attention once again includes Everest. The reality is no one knows where the route will be placed until the Icefall Doctors can evaluate the dangers in person. This should start in late March.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are everything

Source: Alanarnette.com

American in bid to set Himalayan trail record

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  • ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    This trek is the one of best views of annapurna range, nilgiri , Dhaulagiri , Tukuche peak , Dhampus peak , Hiunchuli ,Machhapuchhre , Gangapurna, Lamjung Himal other many more greatest views of mountains you never seen before.
  • KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
  • DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    Many Hindus from round the globe are dreaming to take a holy bath at least once in their life time in the sacred Damodar-Kund
  • 08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
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    EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    Sagamartha (Everest) Base Camp trek takes us into one of the most spectacular regions of Nepal where the Sherpa culture thrives amongst the highest peaks in the world.
  • KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash (6714m) is the most sacred mountain in Asia.
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    KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash, the sacred mountain and the abode of the Hindu god Shiva is one of the world's greatest pilgrimage destinations especially for Hindus, Buddhist, Jains and others.
  • MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu temples of God Vishnu.

Martin Coleman, a climber from Colorado in the US, said he was attempting to cross the Great Himalayan Trail in record time this spring. “On March 17, I’ll be leaving for Nepal to complete the Great Himalayan Trail.

It is 1,250 miles from the border with India to the border with Tibet. I am taking the route that was used to set the record for the traverse and it will involve more than 2.6 million steps and more than 500,000 feet of elevation change,” he said. Not many people have ever completed the traverse and typical times are five months. The record for the traverse is 49 days 6 hours and 8 minutes.

Source: The Himalayan Times