Everest age limits

This item appears on page 68 of the August 2010 issue.

The China-Tibet Mountaineering Association, which issues permits to climbers who want to scale Mt. Everest from the north (Tibetan) side, announced new age restrictions in June. Climbers must be between 18 and 60 years of age. The CTMA says it may consider climbers outside this range if sufficient proof of good health is provided.

Nepal, which issues permits for attempts from the South Face, has a lower age limit of 16 but no upper limit.

The new rule may be partly in response to the feat of Jordan Romero, who, at age 13, on May 22 became the youngest person to summit the mountain.