--- title: "Nepal Mountaineers Call for Age Limits on Everest Treks After Climber’s Death" id: "38054" type: "post" slug: "nepal-mountaineers-call-for-age-limits-on-everest-treks-after-climbers-death" published_at: "2017-05-08T20:37:14+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:19:45+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/05/08/nepal-mountaineers-call-for-age-limits-on-everest-treks-after-climbers-death/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/05/08/nepal-mountaineers-call-for-age-limits-on-everest-treks-after-climbers-death.md" excerpt: "In the days after the death of 85-year-old Mount Everest climber Min Bahadur Sherchan, the Nepal Mountaineering Association is making the case that there should be an upper age limit for potential climbers—something that’s supported by research." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "age limit" - "AI" - "AssociationsNow" - "Leadership" - "Regulations" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Nepal Mountaineers Call for Age Limits on Everest Treks After Climber’s Death Min Bahadur Sherchan wanted to set a world record. Instead, [his death while climbing Mount Everest (opens in a new tab)](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/06/world/asia/min-bahadur-sherchan-nepal.html) is raising a lot of questions for the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). The 85-year-old Sherchan, a Nepal native who, in 2008 at age 76, became the oldest person to reach the Everest summit but later lost that title, was trying to reclaim it when he died at base camp on Saturday. And now the association calling for an age limit on who can attempt to climb the mountain. “It is very necessary to immediately bring that age limit law. If there had been a limit, the loss of life could have been prevented,” NMA President Ang Tshering Sherpa [told the Associated Press (opens in a new tab)](http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/nepal-seeks-to-limit-age-for-climbing-mount-everest-after-85-year-old-dies/story-6nL2Tau5bNkmJcZ7HM8c8I.html) . NMA is calling for an age limit of 76, and the Nepalese government was said to be seriously considering the idea. Currently, climbers must be at least 16 years old, but there is no upper age limit. Research supports the concept. *The Washington Post* [cited 2007 research (opens in a new tab)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/05/07/how-old-is-too-old-to-climb-mount-everest-nepal-wonders/) led by the University of Washington’s Raymond Huey that [showed a significant increase in risk (opens in a new tab)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17698450) for Mount Everest climbers older than 60. Sherpa told *The New York Times* [that Sherchan was in fairly good health (opens in a new tab)](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/06/world/asia/min-bahadur-sherchan-nepal.html) . “He was physically well, but he was challenged by his age,” Sherpa said, noting that Sherchan walked about nine miles daily. It was Sherchan’s fourth attempt to reach the summit since 2013. Finances held him back that year, while natural disasters prevented other attempts—a deadly avalanche in 2014 and an earthquake in 2015. With Sherchan’s death and the potential implementation of an age limit, Yuichiro Miura of Japan, who reached the summit in 2013 at age 80, is likely to remain the oldest person to climb Everest. (crazy777/Pixabay) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#age limit](https://associationsnow.com/tag/age-limit/) [#AI](https://associationsnow.com/tag/ai/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#Regulations](https://associationsnow.com/tag/regulations/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [ArticleHow Scientific Acceleration and Fragmentation Will Affect AssociationsOctober 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/30/how-scientific-acceleration-and-fragmentation-will-affect-associations/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F05%2F08%2Fnepal-mountaineers-call-for-age-limits-on-everest-treks-after-climbers-death%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !