KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 9

The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) has announced a new initiative to provide mountain guides with insurance coverage at the lowest possible rates.

This initiative aims to support its resource members, including Sardars, Senior Support Climbers, and Support Climbers, as classified by the NMA, according to the press release issued by the NMA.

Under the tourism regulations introduced by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), mountain guides are required to have accidental insurance of Rs. 1,500,000, medical insurance of Rs. 400,000, and helicopter rescue insurance of USD 10,000 to obtain climbing permits for 27 NMA managed peaks. Previously, trekking agencies had to pay up to Rs. 20,000 as a premium for accidental insurance alone, making the process costly and cumbersome, the release further states.

To address this issue, the NMA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sagarmatha Lumbini Insurance Company Limited.

As per the MoU, the NMA will now offer a comprehensive insurance package for mountain guides at just Rs. 10,500 (Rs. 8,500 for the insurance fee and Rs. 2,000 as a service charge). This package will cover accidental, medical, and helicopter rescue insurance for a period of three months and will be valid for multiple NMA peaks. The new provisions will come into effect from March 1, 2025. However, rescue operations will only be conducted in life-threatening situations, the NMA added.

The NMA clarified that this offer is not mandatory for trekking agencies. They are free to obtain insurance from any company at mutually agreed rates and submit the necessary documents to the NMA for climbing permits. However, the insurance must include medical and helicopter rescue coverage.

With the introduction of this affordable insurance package, the NMA has also discontinued the provision of commitment letters for medical and helicopter rescue insurance, streamlining the process for trekking agencies.