KATHMANDU: The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sustainable Tourism Project (STP) — a joint initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nepal — to run a series of specialised mountaineering training programmes across three of Nepal's most iconic Himalayan regions.

The agreement, signed at the NMA's offices, sets out a training partnership that will take mountain guide candidates to Api Himal in the far west, Manaslu in the north-central Himalaya, and Kanchenjunga on the eastern frontier — covering basic, advanced and leadership-level skills across summer and winter conditions.

Three mountains, three levels

Under the MoU, the NMA will conduct three distinct training programmes. A Mountain Guide Summer Skill — equivalent to basic mountaineering training — will be held at Api Himal. A Mountain Guide Winter Skill course, covering advanced mountaineering techniques, will take place at Kanchenjunga, one of the most technically demanding of Nepal's 8,000-metre peaks. A Mountain Leader Training course for summer conditions will be organised at Manaslu. Specific training schedules are yet to be announced.

The choice of venues is deliberate — spreading the training programme across Nepal's geographic breadth and targeting ranges that are seeing growing expedition and trekking traffic but remain underserved in terms of locally trained guiding talent.

Why it matters

Nepal's mountain tourism industry employs tens of thousands of guides, porters and support staff, yet formal, internationally recognised training has historically been concentrated in the Everest and Annapurna corridors. The NMA-STP partnership is aimed at building a broader base of certified mountain professionals — guides who are trained not just for the established routes but for the country's emerging and remote ranges.

The STP, which operates under NTB and UNDP's joint framework, has been working to strengthen professional capacity and promote sustainable mountain tourism across Nepal. The new MoU deepens that work by leveraging the NMA's institutional expertise in mountaineering training and certification.

The MoU was signed on behalf of the NMA by President Fur Gelje Sherpa, General Secretary Rajendra Bahadur Lama and Treasurer Sumi Lama. Hikmat Singh Ayer, Officiating Chief Executive Officer of the NMA, signed on behalf of the STP.