Nepal Bans Solo Trekkers Throughout the Country — Here’s Why

Nepal will ban individual trekkers from venturing out alone next month in an effort to prevent potentially costly search and rescue efforts.

The country, which, CNN reported, already banned individual climbers on Mount Everest five years ago, will now ban solo trekkers across all of Nepal, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. Starting April 1, all hikers will have to hire a government-licensed guide and obtain a card proving permission through authorized trekking agencies.

“The decision has been taken subsequent to a series of discussions with the trekking and expedition stakeholders and relevant trade unions in Nepal, to help mitigate adverse incidents like getting lost en-route, health issues and/or natural disasters etc.,” the tourism board wrote in a notice. “With this implementation, the trekkers will have immediate access to [a] professional support system and will help in addressing the challenges of rescue operations in case of any unwarranted situation. In addition to safety, the new provision will create employment for workers in the tourism sector of Nepal and discourage unauthorized trekking operations in the country.”

Nepal’s Himalayan peaks are home to some of the tallest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest, which is the tallest from sea level to peak. Mani R. Lamichhane, the director of the Nepal Tourism Board, told CNN the cost to rescue solo travelers is significant.

"When you are traveling solo, in case of emergencies there is no one to help you," Lamichhane said. "It is fine if they are traveling in the cities, but in the remote mountains, the infrastructure is not adequate… When tourists go missing or they are found dead, even the government cannot track them because they have taken remote routes."

Trekking in Nepal is a bucket list experience, but there are other amazing hikes closer to home, like Mauna Kea in Hawaii, which is a National Natural Landmark and is actually taller than Everest if measured from its base beneath the Pacific Ocean.