Government doubles insurance coverage for high-altitude workers- 5 June

A ministry-level meeting on May 29 took the decision to revise the insurance coverage amounts of policies covering mountain guides, high-altitude workers and porters, liaison officers, search and rescue officials and workers of mountain base camps. The ministry said under the Mountaineering Expedition Regulation 2002, authorities concerned have been directed to double the existing coverage amounts for mountaineering and search and rescue officials from January 1, 2014. Meanwhile, medical |insurance coverage amount for these workers has been raised by 500 percent to Rs 300,000 per person. As per the revised policy, personal accident insurance and workers compensation insurance of the Sirdar (mountain climbing) or the mountain guide has been doubled to a minimum Rs 1 million from Rs 500,000. For high-altitude workers, the insurance coverage has been raised to Rs 1 million from Rs 400,000. The government has increased the personal accident insurance and workers compensation insurance for the officials involved in emergency search and rescue operation by 150 percent to ,000. Insurance coverage for workers of base camps and local porters has been raised by 128 percent to Rs 800,000 and 100 percent to Rs 500,000, respectively. Personal accident insurance and workers compensation insurance for government-mobilized liaison officers in the mountain region has been raised by 33 percent to Rs 800,000. As per the regulation, the mountaineering expedition team will insure, from the insurance companies as recognized by the government, of the mountain guide, high-altitude workers and base camp workers of their personal accident.

Training concluded - 12 June

A special program was organized on 12 June for 44 participants from different trekking companies of Training of Trainers for Mountain Leader jointly organized NMA and SNV Nepal with the special support from Petzl Foundation France. Hon'ble Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ram Kumar Shrestha was chief guest of the program. The training was conducted in four phases from December 2012 to June 2013. The basic objective of the training is to produce skill manpower for the mountaineering and trekking sector to develop it as the safe professional sector. As per the program, each trainee has to produce at least 10 trainees in their companies. The training program mainly centered on map, navigation, leadership, environment, first aid etc.

In the distribution program, Jonathan Demenge- Associate Advisor, HITT Programme Nepal made power presentation program highlighting the different aspects with the objectives, merits of the training program. Mr. Ian Wall explained about the objective of distributing log-book instead of certificate and how it can simplify the trainees to keep his record safe. The chief guest expressed his satisfaction over the joint partnership between NMA and SNV in producing skilled human resources for the mountaineering and trekking field of Nepal. The program ended with the vote of thanks by NMA President.

Basic Mountaineering Course 2013- 14 June

NMA's annual training program Basic Mountaineering Course 2013 started from 21 July at Kathmandu. NMA received huge number of applications for the course, hence it was decided to conduct training in two groups. The duration for the first group of the training is 21 June - 31 July and second group will be given training from 8 th July to 15th August 2013. The venue for the training is Kathmandu and Manang. The first and second groups of the training have 36 and 25 number of participants respectively.

Postponement of NMA's election 20 June

NMA's Executive Board Meeting held on 20 June decided to postpone its election scheduled to be held on 6 July. The decision came into effect after NMA received request for the membership mainly from three categories (summiteers, trekking companies and those general members, who failed to renew their membership). As per the decision, NMA will issue public notice on 22 June, Saturday with request to apply for membership within 10 days for the above mentioned three categories and provide its membership meeting the criteria maintained by its statute.

Waive of royalty to continue-22 Jun

Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation released its decision on 21 June 2013 Friday about its policy to waive climbing royalties for peaks situated in the Mid- and Far Western regions of Nepal for five years. The scheme was introduced on July 16, 2008 for five years in a bid to boost mountain tourism in these regions which are off the beaten track.

Committee formed- 27 June

Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation formed a committee on 13 June under the chairmanship of Chief of Mountain Industries Division, Joint Secretary Purna Chandra Bhatterai to review the royalty for the opened mountain and other important issues related with mountain tourism development.

Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary ascended the highest mountains on earth- Mt. Everest on 29 May 1953. On the occasion of completion of sixty years of the first ascent of Mt. Everest on 29 May 2013, Everest Diamond Jubilee Celebration was organized with different programs in Kathmandu and Khumbu from 27-29 May 2013. Government of Nepal formed the Main Organizing Committee under the chairmanship of Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation with the representatives of different travel related organizations as members of the committee.