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“Mainstream Media Is Misrepresenting New Rules Around Everest,” Says Everest Expert
Several online reports claim Nepal now requires all climbers to have summited a 7,000-metre peak before attempting Mount Everest. However, Everest commentator Alan Arnette says that is not yet the case.
Nepal’s government is considering legislation that would require would-be Everest climbers to have previously climbed a 7,000m mountain in Nepal before taking on the world’s highest peak. The proposal has not yet passed into law.
While many Himalayan guides agree Everest is an extremely serious and dangerous mountain that demands prior high-altitude experience, some have cautioned that restricting the 7,000-metre requirement to peaks within Nepal could disadvantage climbers who have already summited comparable mountains in South America, Kyrgyzstan, Tibet or Pakistan, as those ascents would not count under the draft rules.
Posting on social media, Arnette said media coverage had overstated the situation: “Once again, the mainstream media is misrepresenting new rules around Everest.” He noted the bill still needs to pass Nepal’s lower house and be signed into law by the president, a process that could take months, and said there would be no impact on the spring 2026 climbing season at this stage.
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