Durga Dutta Dhakal, head of Nepal's tourism department, said today that during this spring's climbing season, mountaineers will bring Global Positioning System (GPS) devices so their movements can be tracked as they attempt to climb Mount Everest, which stands at 8,850 meters above sea level.
According to the Associated Press, hundreds of climbers are expected to participate in this climbing season. They will attempt to reach the world's highest peak in April and May, but only a few will take part in an experiment by carrying GPS devices.
These tracking devices will also monitor climbers' every move on Mount Everest. After they descend, the data will be reviewed to confirm whether they actually reached the summit and whether they should be issued a summit certificate.
A couple from India claimed last year that they had reached the summit and obtained a certificate from climbing authorities. However, officials later determined that the couple had altered their photos taken at the summit. The incident was extremely embarrassing for Nepal's mountaineering authorities.
Climbers are only required to provide a photo showing them at the 8,850-meter summit and a report from a government-designated liaison officer. However, these officers rarely stay on the mountain to monitor the climbers. (Translator: Chou Hui-ying, Central News Agency) 1060320
(Central News Agency)
(Central News Agency)