Nepal has announced a new set of rules for mountaineers in the Himalayas, including one ordering them to carry GPS trackers following a deadly year in which 18 people died on Everest and at least five bodies were left unrecovered on the mountain.
With the spring climbing season about to start, Nepali officials say climbers must carry small, passive trackers which can be sewn into a jacket and don’t need power. They can be detected through packed snow up to 20 yards away and further when tracked from the air using a handheld detector.
“The trackers are mandatory for climbers this year, so that if there is an accident their location can be accurately identified,” Rakesh Gurung, director of mountaineering at Nepal’s tourism department, was quoted as saying by AFP.