Nepal allows Bahrain Royal Guard expedition to scale Mt Lobuje East, Mt Manaslu

Kathmandu [Nepal], September 1 (ANI): The Nepal government has decided to grant permission to allow a Bahrain Royal Guard expedition to climb Mt Lobuje East and Mt Manaslu.
Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada, spokesperson for the Government of Nepal, said the team will be arriving in Nepal after mid-September in a special chartered flight and would follow the COVID-19 protocols made by the Ministry of Health and Population during their stay.
"Based on the proposal from Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, a team of 15 Bahrainis along with Prince of Bahrain and three British nationals, which will make a total of 18 people, has been given permission to visit Nepal in a charter flight they will make a make summit attempt of Mt Lobuje East and Mt Manaslu," Khatiwada said.
The 18-member delegation has been given the coveted permission to climb Mount Manaslu (8,163 metres), the eighth highest mountain in the world. Before attempting to climb Manaslu, the team will be scaling Mt Lobuje East (6,119 metres) in the Everest region to acclimatise with the conditions.
The team is also planning to scale Mount Everest in the spring season of 2021. Although, the government had announced the resumption of mountaineering and expedition in the country last month, hundreds of tourists have been awaiting the green signal.
Nepal's tourism sector, which is a major contributor to the country's GDP, faced a slump due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nepal halted its expedition activities in March as COVID-19 spread in the Himalayan nation. Hundreds of trekkers in remote parts of the country were hurriedly flown back to capital Kathmandu while some were evacuated to their respective countries. (ANI)