KATHMANDU, March 11: The Department of Tourism has asked expedition operators to submit medical report of climbers disclosing state of their health while applying for expedition approval letter.
Issuing an 11-point notice on Tuesday, the department also asked the expedition agency to study travel details of a minimum of 14 days of the applicants. "If a mountaineer intends to involve in any kind of activities other than climbing the mountain, s/he should mandatorily seek permission from the Department of Tourism. The team should also submit two copies of list of gears and items that they will be taking to the mountain during the briefing session at the department," the notice reads.
The department has also asked the expedition agency to submit complete itinerary of the expedition teams while applying for expedition approval letter.
According to the Department of Tourism, the expedition agency should also ask the applicants for insurance documents that cover them for the duration of climbing period. It also said that expedition approval letter will be issued to the agency only after it fills up details for the briefing online.
264 permits issued so far for spring climbing season
"Similarly, the agency will be called for debriefing only after details of debriefing is made online," the notice added.
The notice further adds that expedition agency during the debriefing should clearly specify the mode of transport that the climbing parties used to return to Kathmandu.
The department has also said that it will start issuing climbing certificates 15 days after the end of the climbing season. "But climbing certificate won't be issued to expedition agency that fail to fill up debriefing details online," the department said in the notice.
While insuring mountaineering guides and support staff, the expedition agency should clearly mention posts of workers as specified in Mountaineering Expedition Rules, 2059.
According to the notice, the expedition agency has to submit expedition report, including details of successful and unsuccessful climbers, during the debriefing.
The department has also asked the expedition agency to take climbers only to well-equipped hospitals in case the need for rescue arises. "It is the responsibility of helicopter operators and expedition agency to transferring such patients to hospitals with modern equipment and facilities," the notice reads.
Amid growing complaints that liaison officers deputed by the department are not accompanying climbing parties to the base camp, the department has made it mandatory for liaison officers to attend the debriefing and submit all the details of expedition agency that s/he was supposed to be with.
