Nepal Opens Mount Everest, Other Himalayan Peaks For Mountaineers After Nearly Five Months

Nepal has opened Mount Everest and other Himalayan peaks from Thursday (30 July) after a nearly 5-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Tourism Department official.

All spring season expeditions that usually last from March to May were suspended in the wake of the pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.

The government had halted the issuance of climbing permits for expeditions and cancelled issued permits for the spring season 2020 on 13 March.

An expedition to Everest usually takes 45 to 90 days, a short climbing window, depending on favourable weather, and generally falls after mid-May.

"The mountains are now open for mountaineers and the department has started issuing climbing permits starting today (Thursday)," said Mira Acharya, director at the Department of Tourism (DoT).

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)