Uttarakhand is considering a framework to regulate mountaineering activities, and the rules will include mandatory agency registration, age limit and basic mountaineering courses, officials said.
Starting from mandatory registration for every trekking agency and operator, setting 14 years as the minimum age for undertaking high-altitude treks, and mandatory basic mountaineering courses for guides to ensuring minimum recruitment of locals as guides, Uttarakhand is considering a broad framework for regulating trekking and mountaineering activities in the state, officials familiar with the matter said.
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The proposed guidelines will be the first comprehensive framework for regulating trekking and mountaineering activities in Uttarakhand, said PK Patro, chief conservator of forests (CCF) (eco-tourism).
“We have prepared draft guidelines for regulating trekking and mountaineering activities in the state. We are consulting with the government and all stakeholders, including the Sustainable Development Fund, point by point to finalize it,” he said.
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Patro said the framework could be presented either as a policy or as a set of rules, with the final form still under consultation. “This is the first time that such comprehensive trekking guidelines have been developed in Uttarakhand. The aim is to avoid accidents and ensure timely rescue of victims in case such accidents occur,” he said.
A senior forest department official said he proposes mandatory medical fitness certificates for trekkers, accountability mechanisms requiring operators to get weather updates before expeditions, and insurance cover for agency staff and operators.
