Trekking solo along the dangerous trails poses a risk to the lives of foreign tourists
Despite the mandatory order from the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), requiring a registered guide to be hired while trekking solo in Nepal, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality has waived the rules, stating that it is not compulsory in the Everest region, the most popular trekking route in the country.
Earlier, the NTB had decided to halt issuing Free Individual Trekker (FIT) cards from April 1 unless a trekker is accompanied by a Nepali guide while trekking in the mountain region. Under the new provision, a foreigner is required to trek with a guide hired through a trekking company, and also take out an insurance prior to embarking on the trek for their own safety. The NTB's decision is based on the Nepal Tourism Act-1996 and Trekking Information Management System Operation Guidelines-2010. This decision was taken following many unfortunate incidents of deaths or serious injuries of solo trekkers.
The NTB officials have said the local levels must follow the instructions of the federal government, which issued the orders based on the prevailing laws and guidelines. The NTB can cancel the trekking permit should the local level disobey the mandatory requirement of having a Nepali guide accompany a solo trekker.
As per the decision of the rural municipality, a trekker can embark on a solo journey on the Phading trail by simply obtaining a trek card from the permit officeand showing it at the checkpoint. The trek card costs Rs 2,000 in addition to the entry fee for the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) dominated by Mt Everest. The local and SNP officials have said they have not received any official notice regarding the entry restrictioning the entry restriction for solo travellers without a guide. If the rule is to be implemented from April 1, the NTB should have already notified the concerned local level and the SNP about its decision much earlier so that they could have made preparations as per the instructions. The rural municipality makes much of its earnings from issuing trekking permits to foreign nationals. The lack of coordination among the NTB, the rural municipality and SNP will have an impact on the income of the municipality.
The rural municipality and SNP must abide by the instructions of the NTB as they will not only ensure the safety of the solo trekkers but will also create income opportunities for the registered trekking guides. Trekking solo on the dangerous trails poses a risk to the lives of the trekkers. It is also very difficult to launch a rescue operation in the difficult terrain should a person die, sustain serious injuries or fall sick while trekking. As per the NTB, as many as 30,077 trekkers visited the SNP in the past eight months of this fiscal, generating Rs 71.07 million in revenue. A certain portion of the revenue is shared among the federal government, local level and SNP. As per the constitutional provisions, the local levels can come up with their own rules and regulations but cannot violate the rules issued by the federal government that is based on the prevailing laws. A solo trekker can also learn more about the geography, religion and culture of the mountain community if s/he is accompanied by a Nepali guide. The foreign tourists should also cooperate with the government's bid to generate income for the Nepalis within the country.
Climate change
Lumbini World Peace Forum organised the 'World Green Human Wall' on Sunday to express Nepal's solidarity with the global movement 'Together to Combat Climate Change'. The event was organised to raise awareness about the need for environmental conservation and tree plantation to combat climate change. Indeed, Nepal has been experiencing long dry winter months and an extremely wet monsoon season. The impact of climate change is all too visible with mountain peaks without snow cover in winter and spring and forest fires becoming more severe in recent years due to the scanty or no rains. And during the summer months, floods and landslides are creating havoc across the country, affecting or displacing hundreds of thousands of people annually.
Since climate change is here to stay, the government must pay attention to improving systemic resilience of food, freshwater and forest systems to boost people's adaptation and livelihoods. It is just as important to manage the runaway urbanisation to build resilience and improve its environmental health. The Forum's 'One million trees plantation' campaign to combat climate change and deforestation in Nepal is a welcome contribution to this endeavour.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 29, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.