The Department of Tourism has deployed its officials to a temporary field office at the base camp of Mount Everest (8,848.86 meters) to facilitate, regulate, and monitor the 2025 Spring climbing season.

The office, located at the base of the world’s highest peak, will be staffed by Bam Bahadur B.K. and Pasang Bhote, both representing the Department of Tourism, alongside Lakpa Nuru Sherpa from the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality and Tshiring Tenzing Sherpa from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee.

The decision to establish the field office was made on April 17, providing for the deployment of five liaison officers — two from the Department of Tourism and additional representatives from the Nepal Mountaineering Association, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, and local authorities.

Additionally, the Himalayan Rescue Association will operate a health camp at the site, offering first aid and medical support to climbers, guides, and expedition staff.

Despite climbers and their teams having been stationed at the base camp for nearly a month, the deployment of government officials had been delayed, raising concerns about the regulation and management of the growing number of expeditions. Although the field office was established earlier, it remained unstaffed until now.

Leeladhar Awasthi, spokesperson for the Department of Tourism, confirmed that the officials have now departed Kathmandu and are en route to the base camp. The government has also assigned a liaison officer to each climbing group to ensure effective communication, oversight, and coordination. Additional liaison officers representing expedition companies are expected to arrive at base camp shortly.

This is the second consecutive year that the Department has operated a dedicated field office at Everest base camp during the spring season.

According to Awasthi, the field office will be responsible for a range of critical functions, including permit verification, climber reporting, regulation enforcement, emergency response coordination, waste management inspections, and dispute resolution.

The Department of Tourism has issued 427 climbing permits for Mount Everest (8,848.86 m), 107 permits for Lhotse (8,516 m), and 69 permits for Nuptse (7,861 m) for the Spring 2025 season. All three peaks share the same base camp. The number of climbers is expected to increase slightly as the season progresses.