KATHMANDU: The Everest Summiteers Association (ESA) has issued a strong rebuttal of media reports alleging that Everest guides deliberately poisoned clients to facilitate fraudulent insurance claims and helicopter rescues, calling the claims baseless and deeply damaging to the dignity and professionalism of Nepal's mountaineering community.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, ESA President Maya Sherpa said the association fully supports the Central Investigation Bureau's official position that no evidence has been found to substantiate the allegations against Everest guides, and backs the Government of Nepal in rejecting what it called false narratives.

The association said Everest guides are internationally certified and highly experienced professionals who operate under extreme conditions where trust, responsibility, and teamwork are essential for survival, and that the suggestion they would intentionally harm their clients is both illogical and an insult to their lifelong commitment to the profession.

ESA said it appreciates the proactive steps taken by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to address irregularities in rescue operations, and expressed support for the government's zero-tolerance policy against fraudulent practices and its initiatives to strengthen transparency, accountability, and regulation in the sector.

The association urged national and international media and social media users to verify information through official and credible sources before publishing or sharing serious allegations of this nature.

A sustained industry response

ESA's statement is the latest in a weeks-long series of formal denunciations from Nepal's tourism and mountaineering establishment. 

The CIB, which is leading the fake rescue investigation and has filed charges against 32 individuals at the Kathmandu District Court, was the first to formally reject the food poisoning claims. The Nepal Mountaineering Association, Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality, TAAN, the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation have all since issued their own statements rejecting the unsubstantiated allegation.