KATHMANDU, MARCH 18

With the Russia-Ukraine war escalating in recent days, Nepal will see a decline in the number of mountain climbers in the spring climbing season, stakeholders have said.

Local expedition operators who have been preparing to handle foreign climbers in different mountains including Mt Everest said more than 100 climbers (nearly 30 per cent), mostly from Russia, Ukraine, and European countries bordering them, have already cancelled their booking for mountain expeditions.

Effects from the Russia-Ukraine war on Everest climbing have already started appearing as many foreign expedition operators announced to cancel their bookings, Mingma Sherpa, chairman at Seven Summit Treks, said. 'Earlier, we had a plan to run Everest expeditions for over 150 foreign climbers, including a high-profile Ukrainian expedition this season, but now, it would be only 60- 70 climbers due to the escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine,' Sherpa told THT.

Country's tourism industry faces a certain upheaval from the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said Iswari Poudel, managing director at Himalayan Guides, adding that the war has also led many climbers and trekkers from the US and Europe to reconsider their 2022 travel plans.

According to Poudel, his company would be handling at least 40 foreign climbers on Mt Everest this season.

Seven Summit Club, which annually handles Russian expeditions on Everest and other peaks above 8,000m, is struggling hard to retain its climbing staff this season, as many Russian climbers withheld their trip to Everest and Lhotse. 'It seems like a nightmare,' company's owner Mingma Gelu Sherpa shared, adding, 'Though, my company is still hopeful of handling a small expedition on Everest this year.'

Damber Parajuli, chairman of Expedition Operators Association Nepal, said the number of Everest climbers would certainly decrease this season as there will be fewer or no climbers from Russia, Ukraine, or China. 'We are expecting some 300 climbers on Everest and other 8,000m peaks,' he added. According to him, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee has already deployed its icefall doctors to fix route up to Camp II from the base camp, while EOAN assigned Seven Summit Treks to open summit route on both Everest and Lhotse from Camp II. Kami Rita Sherpa, who aims to break his own record of most Everest ascents (25 times), will be leading the rope-fixing team above Camp II. 'Operators have already started dispatching logistics to Khumbu region,' he said.

Ang Dorjee Sherpa, SPCC chairman, said that a team of six icefall doctors led by Ang Sarki Sherpa today reached the base camp to open a route to Camp II. The team will stay in the Everest region throughout the three-month-long climbing season, he added.

'The team will also start fixing ropes along the icefall section from Sunday after offering prayers on Saturday.'

'There will be no Chinese mountaineers on Mt Everest and other peaks this season.

We will not be running Chinese expeditions, as China has still not opened its entry points. All travellers from abroad are barred due to the COVID-19 pandemic,' Nima Namgyal Sherpa, owner of Kaitu Expedition, said.

Bhisma Bhattarai, officer at the Department of Tourism, said DoT had been receiving applications from expedition operators for Everest climbing permits. 'Till date, at least 12 permits have been issued for different mountains except Everest,' he added. Nepal mainly receives expeditions on Everest, Lhotse, Kanchenjunga, and Makalu in the spring season.

According to him, at least 24 climbers from China, six from Russia, and five from Ukraine scaled Mt Everest last year. More than 100 permits were issued to climbers from these countries for different mountains.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 18, 2022, of The Himalayan Times