The Government of Nepal has made it mandatory for Everest climbers to have an ‘electronic chip’ with them while attempting the summit in Mount Everest. The Tourism Department has also made it mandatory for Everest climbers from this season to have a chip.
According to Rakesh Gurung, spokesperson of the department, the arrangement to make chips mandatory for the convenience of search and rescue operations during climbing accidents and losses has been made.
According to Gurung, such chips will be made available by the relevant agencies for mountaineers. For this, climbers will have to pay between $10 and $15.
The chip will be in the form of a ‘pen drive’. ‘After returning from climbing Everest, climbers will have to inform the relevant agency about the chip,’ he said. ‘The same chip will be useful for the next season as well.’
According to him, the provision of installing chips during climbing has been under discussion in the past as well. It has now been made mandatory. He also mentioned that for the safety of climbers, electronic chips are also being increasingly made mandatory in other Himalayan regions.
