The President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Nima Nuru Sherpa, has stated that the association has successfully conducted its training programs. He said, “These training programs are funded by the Government of Nepal. I would like to thank the government for this support and expect continued collaboration for this important task of producing skilled human resources.”
He added, “To enhance Nepal’s mountain tourism, it is crucial to produce skilled manpower. This will also benefit the government. Therefore, continuous support from the government is necessary.”
The NMA, which has been producing the required human resources for Nepal’s mountain tourism, held an event on Thursday, announcing the international recognition of its Mountain Leader Training. President Sherpa made this statement during the event.
State Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Arun Kumar Chaudhary, expressed hope that the trainees would be able to enhance Nepal’s pride internationally. He said, “Due to global temperature rise, the condition of our mountains is deteriorating every day. Now, it’s our turn to protect these mountains. I am confident that these trainees will ensure the future of our mountains and bring pride to Nepal internationally.”
The Chairman of the Nepal Press Council, Balakrishna Basnet, and the President of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), Sagar Pandey, urged the government to support the NMA in organizing such training programs.
TAAN President Sagar Pandey said, “Thanks to the efforts of NMA, these skilled personnel are now ready to advance Nepal’s mountain tourism. It is our collective responsibility to support the NMA in this important task. The Nepal mountaineering industry needs more skilled manpower, so the government must continue to support NMA in running these training programs.”
Senior Vice President of NMA, Thakur Raj Pandey, and General Secretary, Mohan Lamsal, mentioned that the funds allocated by the government for the association have not yet been received. According to General Secretary Mohan Lamsal, around NPR 60 million has been allocated for NMA, but the funds have not been made available yet.
The association’s officials have urged the government to release the allocated funds immediately so that the necessary training programs for advancing Nepal’s mountain tourism are not hindered.
During the event, certificates were provided to the trainees and instructors. The main training programs conducted by the NMA include basic mountaineering training, advanced mountaineering training, high mountain rescue training, and internationally recognized mountain guides.
Although the NMA has been running the Mountain Leader Course since 2011, the association could not join the Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA) due to its regulations, leading to the establishment of the Nepal Mountain Leaders Association (NMLA) on June 21, 2017. From its inception, NMLA started the process of obtaining UIMLA membership to gain international recognition for its training.
In 2017, NMLA successfully received aspirant membership of UIMLA. Since then, the NMA has continued to run training programs and strengthen Nepal’s Mountain Leader Course. In November 2024, during UIMLA’s 20th Annual General Meeting in North Macedonia, Nepal received unanimous votes and gained international recognition, as shared by NMLA President Dawa Tashi Sherpa.
Additionally, the curriculum for various training programs conducted by the association has been approved by the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT).
According to NMLA President Dawa Tashi Sherpa, this recognition will be a significant step in the mountain and trekking tourism sector, and it will strengthen Nepal’s tourism by increasing the number of trained leaders.
