KATHMANDU: Following a record autumn climbing season on Ama Dablam, a team from the Expedition Operators Association Nepal has conducted a comprehensive cleanup and safety upgrade on the 6,814-meter peak. The initiative involved removing outdated ropes and accumulated garbage, while also establishing new route infrastructure for the upcoming season.

This season, the mountain saw an unprecedented 494 foreign climbers from 39 expedition teams who either summited or made an attempt.

The rope-removal and garbage cleanup work ensures climbers encounter reliable, well-maintained routes rather than deteriorated equipment that accumulates across multiple climbing seasons, according to Rishi Bhandari General Secretary at the EOAN. 

Since 2011, EOA-Nepal has funded and deployed its own climbing personnel to manage rope-fixing and route-opening operations across Nepal's most heavily trafficked peaks. Operating with Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation approval, the association has extended systematic maintenance to Manaslu, Everest, Lhotse and, beginning in 2024, Himlung Himal.

EOA General Secretary Bhandari emphasised the operational necessity of the work. "Rope-fixing operations are critical infrastructure for safe climbing in Nepal's mountains. The teams' work ensures safe, guided routes for hundreds of climbers during the lucrative autumn season," he said.

The maintenance cycle reflects the economic importance of mountaineering to Nepal's tourism sector while demonstrating how industry self-regulation can enhance climber safety and route integrity across the nation's highest peaks.