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Uttarakhand is considering a framework to regulate mountaineering activities, and the rules will include mandatory registration of agencies, minimum age limits, and basic mountaineering courses, officials said.

The framework could be introduced either as a policy or a set of rules, with the final form still under consultation. (ANI)From mandatory registration of every trekking agency and operator, setting 14 as minimum age to undertake high-altitude expeditions, compulsory basic mountaineering courses for guides to ensuring minimum employment of local residents as guides, Uttarakhand is considering a wide-ranging framework to regulate trekking and mountaineering activities in the state, officials aware of the matter said.

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PK Patro, chief conservator of forests (CCF) (eco-tourism), said the proposed guidelines would be the first comprehensive framework to regulate trekking and mountaineering activities in Uttarakhand.

“We have prepared the draft guidelines to regulate trekking and mountaineering activities in the state. We are consulting the government and all stakeholders, including the SDRF, point by point for finalisation,” he said.

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Patro said the framework could be introduced either as a policy or a set of rules, with the final form still under consultation. “This is the first time such comprehensive trekking guidelines are being developed in Uttarakhand. The objective is to avoid accidents and ensure timely rescue of victims if such incidents occur,” he said.

It proposes mandatory medical fitness certificates for trekkers, accountability mechanisms requiring operators to obtain weather updates before expeditions, and insurance cover for employees of agencies and operators, a senior official of the forest department said.