KATHMANDU: The Department of Tourism has established a temporary field office at Everest Base Camp for the Spring 2026 expedition season, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation announced, positioning government oversight directly on the mountain as one of the busiest seasons in recent years gets under way.

The field office is tasked with monitoring and facilitating safe, sustainable, and responsible mountaineering practices across the Khumbu region — placing a government presence at the centre of operations at a time when the season has already drawn significant attention following the Khumbu Icefall route-fixing delays that kept hundreds of climbers waiting at Base Camp for nearly two weeks.

The move reflects a broader push by the Department of Tourism to strengthen on-ground coordination during the expedition season, following a period in which ministerial-level decisions were required to resolve the icefall impasse — including the authorisation of EOAN mountain guides to supplement SPCC icefall doctors in completing the route.

With 425 climbers permitted on Everest alone this spring across 42 teams, and climbers from 77 countries holding permits across all peaks, the scale of the season underscores the need for active field-level facilitation beyond what is possible from Kathmandu.