Mt Baruntse. Photo Courtesy: Seven Summit Treks

September 6: The Department of Tourism has granted permission for an expedition team to scale Mount Baruntse at a time when tourism activities in the country have come to a complete halt due to Covid-19 pandemic.

The department issued permission to a six-member Nepali team for the first expedition of the season. The department confirmed that the team led by Dawa Steven Sherpa will be the first to scale the 7129 meters peak in the upcoming fall season.

With this decision, the department has opened the door for other expeditions to scale mountains in Nepal, said Meera Acharya, director of the Department of Tourism.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s prince Nasir Bin Hamad Al Khalifa will visit Nepal for an expedition after September 15.

The prince, who is also the commander of Bahrain Army, will lead an 18-member expedition team which also includes three Britishers. Prince Khalifa’s team will remain in Nepal for two months.

The Council of Ministers approved the team to visit Nepal on a chartered flight upon the recommendation of Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai a few days ago.

The team from Bahrain will be accompanied by Seven Summit Treks. The team will first scale Lobuche (6119) and then Manaslu (8163). The team is planning to return next year to scale Everest.

Meanwhile, stakeholders say the visit of  a VIP for expedition is a positive step for the tourism industry of Nepal which is badly affected by Covid-19 crisis.

This expedition is expected to draw the attention of the world and provide some relief to the industry, says General Secretary of Nepal Mountaineering Association Kul Bahadur Gurung.