KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 18

A high-altitude training and expedition in Nepal's far-western Api Himal region is moving forward after a dramatic helicopter rescue and a lively public debate over safety and accreditation standards.

The seven-day Map Reading and Camping Management Training is part of the Summer Skill Course for Professional Mountain Guides, a program organized by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) in partnership with the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the UNDP Sustainable Tourism Project, and facilitated locally by the Api Himal Rural Municipality.

Based on a Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT)–approved curriculum, the course is recognized as equivalent to NMA's Basic Mountaineering Course and designed to prepare participants for the internationally respected IFMGA mountain-guide pathway. Twenty young residents of Api Himal are enrolled, gaining essential skills in navigation, high-altitude camping, and expedition logistics that can lead to professional trekking and guiding careers.

The training also includes fieldwork on Lhayul Peak (Bhavya Chuli, 6,397 m) and a follow-up climb of Api Himal (7,132 m)-a rare opportunity for local trainees to attempt summits in their own backyard while practicing technical skills.

Severe weather struck midway through the course, injuring chief instructor Sanjib Gurung and leaving several team members stranded at high altitude. After three days of repeated attempts hampered by poor visibility, a Simrik Air crew led by pilot Siddhartha Gurung successfully evacuated the injured to safety.

Bhagat Singh Thekare Bohara at the Api Himal Rural Municipalityexpressed gratitude for the successful mission, 'Heartfelt thanks to everyone who assisted in the rescue, especially Simrik Air pilot Siddhartha Gurung and his team, who stayed in the municipality for three days making repeated rescue attempts until today's success. The mountain-guide training will continue, and we will carry on with the planned ascents of Bhavya Himal and Api Himal. I wish a speedy recovery to Sanjib Gurung and all those injured.'

The program coincides with Nepal's decision to waive climbing permit fees for 97 peaks in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces for two years, aiming to open remote regions like Api Himal to more climbers and create income for local communities. The government hopes that training local guides will anchor long-term tourism growth in this under-explored region.

While the rescue drew admiration, experts have questioned the course's credibility. They claim the training is 'unaccredited and substandard,' alleging:

- No recognized international or domestic accreditation beyond basic CTEVT approval.

- Insufficient safety planning, risk assessment, and weather evaluation.

- Instructors whose professional certifications allegedly fall short of international IFMGA standards.

They further accuses organizers of 'misusing public resources' and 'endangering participants' professional futures' by offering a program it describes as 'so-called' and potentially harmful to Nepal's mountaineering reputation.

NMA officials have not formally responded, but supporters claim that the curriculum follows the national standard for professional guide training and that the instructors are seasoned Nepali climbers with extensive high-altitude experience.

Despite the weather-related setback and the ongoing debate, the Api Himal training team plans to resume its climbs of Lhayul Peak and Api Himal as conditions allow. For the 20 local trainees, the course represents a crucial step toward becoming internationally employable mountain guides and strengthening the economic base of far-western Nepal's adventure tourism.

As Bohara emphasized, the mission remains unchanged: to create skilled local guides and to put Api Himal firmly on Nepal's mountaineering map while ensuring that safety lessons from this expedition inform future programs.