MoCTCA issues new mountaineering procedures to measure feats

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has issued the working modalities related to keeping mountaineering records.

The decision has come after the realisation that a clear-cut working procedure for endorsing different records achieved by mountaineers in the high mountains was needed to ensure efficient management of the entire procedures.

Claimants of mountaineering records should follow the following procedures:

1. The new working modalities require those mountaineers willing to set records to present in writing their future plans to the Ministry at the time of briefing that takes place concurrently with the issuance of the climbing permits.
2) The leaders of the mountaineering teams must make their plans in coordination with the high altitude Sherpas if possible.
3) The mountaineers must provide proof of their feats by making available photographs that state clearly the date and time of reaching the summit apart from informing the liaison officers through their communication sets about the different settings as they go along the mountaineering routes.
4) The mountaineer, who aims to establish a feat, must inform about the item he wishes to leave at the summit as a mark of memory. He will have to inform this to the liaison officer in the presence of the members of his expedition team and a representative affiliated with the mountaineering sector.
5) The mountaineer needs to give the inventory of the items that he/she wishes to take along to the liaison officer before setting out on the expedition.
6) In the course of the expedition, the mountaineer claiming a fresh record should present proof of this by submitting photographs taken with other mountaineers he meets on the way back.
7) Besides, he/she needs to submit a photograph that shows all the four directions of the summit including the item of memory to be left behind.
8) The claimant must take video pictures and photographs of the trails and places that he/she treks through to furnish proof of the record.
9) If possible, the mountaineer needs to carry with him a Global Positioning System that is attached to an altimeter. He/she needs to make arrangements to send the details of his whereabouts in the mountain to the Ministry through satellite phone whenever he establishes radio contacts with the base camp.
10) The mountaineer needs to furnish details in writing of the people, locations, climate and if possible even the photograph on reaching the summit. The details must be submitted to the liaison officer at the base camp.
11) The Ministry will make public its views about mountaineering records after verifying the proof of the details submitted