Jamling Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, an internationally acclaimed mountaineer from India, has urged the Nepal government to allow climbers to scale Mt Everest if they have conquered any peak of 7,000 meters (around 22,000 feet) in any part of the world.

The Nepal government drafted an Integrated Tourism Bill that states that any climber wanting to scale Mount Everest (28,029ft) must first reach the top of a 7,000m peak in Nepal.

“The thought of the Nepal government must be welcomed as it aimed to curb overcrowding at Mount Everest. However, any mountaineer who has ascended a 7,000m peak in any country should be allowed to scale Everest,” said Jamling, who had summited Mt Everest in 1996.

Jamling is the son of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who, along with Sir Edmund Hillary, first climbed Everest successfully in 1953.

“Those who scale the 7,000m peak in their respective country should, however, get a certificate from the country’s mountaineering federation,” Jamling told The Telegraph.

Jamling presently conducts expeditions for climbers across the world.

Many climbers across the world share Jamling’s opinion of the new Everest policy.

The Integrated Tourism Bill was introduced in Nepal’s Upper House on April 18 and is still in the draft stage. The bill will be taken up for discussions in both the upper and lower houses of Nepal’s parliament, and changes can be made before it is passed.

Many believe Jamling’s and other mountaineers’ opinions matter as the bill is yet to be passed.

“Every year, Nepal allows around 450 to 500 people to climb Everest. There has been overcrowding at Everest. Recently, I came across an international climber who introduced himself as a commercial climber. This is ludicrous, and this has to stop,” said Jamling.

An equal number of guides accompany the 500 mountaineers. Many have termed Everest as the “world’s largest garbage dump”.

The Nepal government seems to be making an attempt to conserve Everest, which is a source of good revenue for the country, as it plans to put in place a new garbage management system.

In 1995-96, the Nepal government had tried to make it compulsory for climbers to first summit a 6,000m peak before attempting Everest. With the number of climbers dwindling, pressure from expedition operators and international mountaineers forced the government to back off.

“It is time for the government to stand its ground,” said Jamling.

The new bill looks at making medical check-ups mandatory for Everest climbers. While 17 people died during Everest expeditions in 2023, eight passed away in 2024.

Provisions are being made to ensure that Nepalese citizens have job protection. The bill makes it mandatory for sirdars (head Sherpas), high-altitude guides and helpers for every expedition to be Nepali citizens.