Amid an incredibly deadly climbing season, Nepalese government officials are considering changing old laws to impose new restrictions on who can attempt to climb Mount Everest.
Officials in Kathmandu say they may start requiring prospective hikers to submit proof of mountaineering experience and a certificate of good health, per The New York Times. Due to overcrowding at the top, climbers have been forced to wait in line for hours, often falling ill or running out of bottled oxygen in the process.
Current requirements for obtaining a permit to make the trek are notoriously lax, and have resulted in a "Lord of the Flies" atmosphere at the top filled with rookie climbers, reports the Times. Climbers currently must submit a copy of their passport, some biographical information, and a certificate showing they are healthy enough to reach the peak.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Eleven climbers have died this season in attempting the trek, with the latest casualty being a 62-year-old attorney from Colorado who collapsed after reaching the summit's peak. Nepal issued a record 381 climbing permits this season, fueling the $100 million Everest tourism industry.
-
August 24 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Putin at Donald Trump's circus, gallons of whitewash, and a foldable cartoon
-
5 Post Office-approved cartoons about mail-in votingCartoons Artists take on reverse logic, Putin's election advice, and more
-
The battle of the weight-loss drugsTalking Point Can Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly regain their former stock market glory? A lot is riding on next year's pills
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
