Govt to open 165 new peaks for expeditions

If things go as planned, tourists arriving in Nepal will be able to explore around 165 new peaks. A recent report of the sub-committee formed under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has recommended names of 165 new peaks to be opened for adventure tourism. Along with the 165 peaks, now there will be around 491 peaks for adventure tourism and mountain expeditions. Currently‚ there are around 326 peaks that are allowed for mountain expeditions and adventure sports. The sub-committee, under the coordination of former president of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tshering Sherpa, recommended an additional 165 peaks for adventure tourism. “We have recommended the names to our main committee which is under the coordination of Purna Chandra Bhattarai, joint secretary of MoCTCA, to further finalise the report and forward it to the Cabinet for approval,” said Sherpa. According to him, the committee has finalised the names of the new peaks based on the observation report of the team of experts and frequent interactions and consultations with the local people and mountaineers. Sherpa, however, said that the ministry will later move on with promotional programmes for the recommended mountains. “The recommended mountains hold high tourism possibility and are technically feasible for mountaineering,” he said. The report includes one 8000-metre mountain, 12 mountains above 7000 metres but less than 8000 metres, 143 mountains which are above 6000 metres but lower than 7000 metres, and nine mountains above 5000 metres. According to senior officer at Tourism Industry Division Tilak Ram Pandey, the main committee of the tourism ministry is further studying the report submitted by the sub-committee and is preparing to make some changes in the mountaineering royalty. The 165 new peaks also include the 23 peaks that were selected earlier by the government during the formal opening of the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of the first ascent of Mt Everest. The government had‚ in 2003‚ opened 122 new peaks‚ and later nine other peaks in 2004‚ but since then no new peaks have been opened. It has been almost 10 years since the government last announced the opening of new peaks for expeditions. source: Himalayan Times