Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - The Nepali government has decided to lease hundreds of peaks to private interests to attract more tourists and create jobs.
Local authorities have so far opened 310 peaks out of more than 3,300, but only a handful of them have attracted mountaineers.
Under the new policy, peaks would be leased for 30 years, but the details will be released at a later date.
"If we can well manage the peaks, people across the world will come," government spokesperson Minendra Rijal told AsiaNews.
They will "bring money and jobs, improving the quality of life of the poorest segments of the population." And some of the peaks are still unclimbed, Rijal added.
A fresh study on mountaineering conducted by the government and the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) shows that Nepal has 3,310 walking and climbing peaks above 5,500 m.
In the case of the 1,913 climbing peaks, the use of mountaineering gear is required, including 1,300 peaks over 6,000 m, 16 of which above 8,000 m.
For NMA president Ang Tshiring Sherpa, leasing out unexplored mountains is a good idea, but the government has to do regular monitoring after the peaks are placed under private management.
"The NMA has recommended that the government should lease peaks for six to seven years as a pilot project," Sherpa explained. "If it is successful, the lease term could be extended".