Field Office Established at Everest Base Camp for Spring Season 2024

A field office has been established at the Everest Base Camp (EBC) specifically for managing and facilitating mountaineering activities during the spring season. Such offices have been set up in the last and previous years also.

The Deputy Secretary of the Survey Department, Khimalal Gautam, has been appointed as the head of this field office. Notably, he holds the distinction of being the only civil servant and surveyor in the world to have successfully summited Mount Everest twice. He was part of a select group that reached the summit to utilize new technologies for accurately measuring Everest's actual altitude. 

The main objective to set up such an office is to curb illicit actions like conflicts among climbers, congestion on climbing routes, rescue operation hurdles, and delays in reaching base camp officials.

Moreover, a committee has been formed under the guidance of the Director General of the Tourism Department to oversee the coordination, regulation, and facilitation of all activities at the base camp. This committee comprises representatives from various entities, including the Ministry of Tourism, Department of Tourism, Nepali Army, Tourist Police, Himalayan Rescue Association, and Everest Climbers' Association, among others. Khimalal Gautam serves as a member and the secretary of this committee. 

For the effective management of mountaineering activities in the current season, the government has deployed 77 liaison officers across different Himalayan regions. These officers have been assigned various responsibilities related to coordinating and managing mountaineering activities. As per the Tourism Department's records, a total of 48 employees from the Ministry of Tourism and its affiliated bodies have been designated as liaison officers for the spring season of 2024. 

While some of these officers have already reached their assigned fields, others are in the process of doing so.

Setting up the contact office marks progress toward safer and well-organized Mount Everest ascents. With tourism department oversight, climbers can expect a safer and more pleasant expedition.