Mountaineering Organisations Distance Themselves from Everest Summit Event
Nepal’s two leading mountaineering organisations have formally distanced themselves from the Everest Summiteers Summit held in May, raising concerns over the event’s legitimacy, funding practices and the issuance of summit certificates. The dispute follows a complaint filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), prompting the Department of Tourism (DoT) to seek clarification from the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and the Expedition Operators Association Nepal (EOAN).
In its response, the NMA stated that it had twice refused requests from Everest Alliance Nepal to endorse the event as a government-recognised national programme. The association maintained that it had no involvement in the summit and described the event as a duplication of its officially recognised World Summiteers Summit, which is jointly organised with government agencies. It also argued that only the Department of Tourism is authorised to issue verified summit certificates and called for an investigation into the event’s financial and administrative practices.
The EOAN also denied any association with Everest Alliance Nepal, noting that the company is not one of its registered members.
However, Everest Alliance Nepal rejected the allegations, saying it had not received any official notice from the CIAA or the DoT. Chairman Sudarshan Nepal said the summit was organised in full compliance with legal procedures and aimed to promote Nepal’s adventure tourism. The event, held on May 27 in Kathmandu, was attended by President Ram Chandra Paudel, Tourism Minister Khadak Raj Poudel and several prominent mountaineers.
