KATHMANDU, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's Department of Tourism has introduced a set of stricter provisions for mountaineering expeditions, requiring climbers and agencies to comply with tighter procedural and documentation standards as the spring climbing season begins.

By issuing a nine-point directive on Thursday, the department said that expedition teams must now submit applications for climbing permits at least two days in advance, along with detailed information as specified in the mountaineering regulations.

The new rules make it mandatory for applicants to include full details of support staff and to designate a Sardar (head guide) at the time of application.

The department has also introduced stricter documentation requirements and made it compulsory for expedition teams to submit detailed reports of any rescue operations to both the Department of Tourism and the Tourist Police Office. ■