KATHMANDU, MAY 17

A group of foreign climbers reportedly climbed up to Camp III on Mt Everest without obtaining a permit from the government this season.

"Most of the climbers from an 11-member team of Lingtren peak expedition of Elite Exped run by celebrated climber Nirmal Purja 'Nims' illegally crossed the icefall section of Mt Everest and reached Camp III earlier this week," officials claimed.

Officials at Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality confirmed that the team members of Elite Exped Lingtren Peak Expedition purchased WAG bags for acclimatization at the high camp of Mt Everest. WAG bags are mandatory to go to Everest high camps but not needed for the Lingtren Peak, said officials.

"Most of the members reached Camp III on Everest for acclimatization but they don't have a permit to use the Everest climbing route," officials quoted eyewitnesses as saying.

After receiving complaints from the expedition operators, Expedition Monitoring and Facilitation Field Office at the Everest base Camp has initiated a probe into the issue. The Department of Tourism and Tourist Police in Kathmandu have also been alerted to carry out thorough investigation.

According to DoT, the Elite Exped has obtained permit of Lingtren peak (6713m) for Thomas Vendelbo Brown (Denmark), James Anthony Mclaughlin (UK), Kayla Perez (US), Amitha K Harsha (US), Galen Arthur Woodmansee (UK), Pawel Blazniak (Poland), Glen Philip Mallen (UK), Isabella Aimee Gareh (UK), Carine Jacqueline Solange Louyot (France), Robert James Hutchinson (US) and Richard Dean Gilpin (US) for the spring season.

After noticing the 'illegal' act, base camp officials and other climbers objected their move. "Elite Exped then included Kyala and Robert James in their Everest permit (no. 92) as a face saving measure," officials confirmed. It's evident that Everest climbers don't need to get Lingtren permit, they wondered.

"Kayla Perez, Carine Jacqueline and Richard Dean have already left Nepal," officials said.

Lingtren climbers can stay at the base camp but can't hike above from the Everest route, said DoT's officials.