Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Foreign Solo Climbers Forbidden From Summiting Mount Everest

On the continuum of adventure sports experiences, it doesn’t get much higher (pun intended) than summiting Mount Everest. Reaching the peak of the world’s tallest mountain is a lofty dream for thousands of climbers. However, as of 2018, that dream may have to change for some. Nepal is instituting a sweeping ban on foreign solo climbers in the coming season.

In a move ostensibly to ease safety concerns, Nepal has banned all foreign solo climbers on any of its mountains, including Mount Everest. Foreign climbers will now be required to use the services of an official Nepalese guide.

Recommended Videos

The latter seems to indicate the move may be motivated more by tourism dollars than safety, however. The local government has hinted as much. In an interview with the Kathmandu Post, the country’s tourism secretary, Maheshwar Neupane, noted, “[t]he mountaineering regulation has been amended to improve safety of the climbers and has delegated more power to the Department of Tourism to function independently. It has also ensured the rights of high-altitude Nepali guides and climbers.”

mount everest
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Curiously, an additional ban has been placed on visually impaired and double amputee climbers unless they’ve received an official medical dispensation from their doctor. (That a blind person or double amputee can be physically capable of climbing Everest boggles the mind …)

Every year, hundreds visit Nepal to climb Mount Everest. Last year saw the most summit attempts ever, and that increase also saw a predictable rise in the number of injuries and deaths. The mountain has taken at least 200 climbers since 1920, and the majority of those have been in the last 40 years. The reasons vary widely. Some are obvious — approximately one-third die in avalanches, while 23 percent succumb to a fall. A full 20 percent are killed solely from exposure or acute high-altitude sickness.

In 2017 alone, there were several high profile deaths, which once again resurfaced the debate over the mountain’s safety. Namely: the so-called “Swiss Machine” Ueli Steck, a world-famous climber who died attempting a solo summit of a mountain neighboring Everest, and Min Bahadur Sherchan, the 85-year-old who lost his life while trying to reclaim the record as the world’s oldest climber to summit Everest.

The Nepalese government has yet to confirm when the ban will go into effect. However, it’s all but certain to affect the spring 2018 climbing season.

See What to do in Kathmanandu

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
Topics
Looking for adventure and culture? This city is the best in the world for urban hiking
Here's the world's #1 city for outdoor lovers
Rio de Janeiro

As an outdoor enthusiast, one of the top things I look for in a travel destination is proximity to the outdoors. I'm certainly not averse to pitching tents, but sometimes it's nice to mix in a bit of urban excitement to my travels. Sports Shoes, a UK running retail brand, just completed a study that analyzed the top urban areas for hikers on break. My personal favorite hiker-friendly city is Seattle, which squeaked in at number 12. The number one spot goes to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

The winner was decided through two primary variables: the number of hikes in the area and the average rating and reviews of those hikes. This was averaged out into a hikeability score out of 100, and the only one to get a perfect score was Rio de Janeiro. With a total of 334 hikes averaging a rating of 4.8 stars, this city is officially the world's number one urban area for hikers.
Top hikes in Rio de Janeiro

Read more
Airstream’s new Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired travel trailer is an instant classic
Two classic mid-20th-century design icons combine in this handsome, ultra-exclusive travel trailer.
An Airstream Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Limited Edition Travel Trailer parked in the desert.

An icon of the all-American road trip meets an icon of mid-century modern architecture in the all-new 2026 Airstream Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Limited Edition Travel Trailer. By combining Airstream's unmistakable travel trailer design ethos with Wright's Usonian principles, the result is something truly elegant, timeless, and modern. But it'll only be available to a select few.
Everything we know about the Airstream Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Limited Edition Travel Trailer

Many of the features and design elements in this one-of-a-kind, 28-foot travel trailer are classic Airstream. But it also features a few firsts. Most notable is the dual-purpose lounge/sleep area anchored by a pair of twin beds that convert to a king (the largest bed ever in an Airstream) with the push of a button. Exclusive bolster pillows, tailored slipcovers, and quilted coverlets round out the space. The front lounge also transforms seamlessly between dinette and desk as needed, making this a true live/play/work travel trailer. The entire interior is awash in daylight thanks to 29 total windows—more than any other Airstream in history.

Read more
Capilano Bridge: A gateway to BC’s rainforest, minutes from downtown Vancouver
My guide to a perfect day at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
A pictur of the Capilano bridge surrounded by evergreens and empty

Just 15 minutes outside of downtown Vancouver, B.C., you'll find the Capilano Bridge, a 450-foot-long cedar-planked walkway placed 230 feet above the valley floor. While worth its own pilgrimage, the bridge is more than a one-hit wonder. It's one of dozens of attractions in Capilano Suspension Bridge Park's 27 acres of aerial walkways, carved totem poles, and mist-threaded rainforest. 

The coveted Park pulls off something rare: immersive, big, nature paired with all the creature comforts a visitor could want. While most people come to cross the Capilano Bridge, I opted to explore the other impressive aerial structures and bridges on site, which are equally remarkable and have fewer crowds. 

Read more