Nepal will issue Everest permits only to climbers with experience of scaling at least one of the Himalayan nation’s 7,000-meter (22,965 ft) peaks, according to the draft of a new law aimed at reducing overcrowding and improving safety.

Official data shows that since 1953’s Hillary-Norgay summit, around 9,000 mountaineers have successfully scaled Mt Everest while over 300 have lost their lives.

Nepal is set to pass a law to grant permits to climb Mount Everest only to those who have previously scaled at least one 7,000-metre peak within the country, marking a major shift for the tourism-depe