Götz Hagmüller, the Austrian architect who made the preservation of Kathmandu Valley’s cultural heritage his life’s work died on Friday in Bhaktapur, the town he helped restore. Hagmüller died peacefully in his sleep at Kuthu Math, the former pilgrim’s guesthouse in Bhaktapur which he helped restore and where he lived for most of his life in Nepal. He was 85. Hagmüller first came to Nepal in 1979 to help with the Bhaktapur Development Project, the German government initiative that over two decades helped restore the crumbling town and upgrade its facilities.&nbsp; He never left. After Bhaktapur, Hagmüller went on to be involved in the restoration of Kaiser Mahal’s Garden of Dreams, the Patan Museum and the restoration of the Patan palace, as well as numerous buildings in Bhaktapur including the unique 8-cornered Chyasilin Temple and the Kuthu Math. He also helped restore the house that would become <a href="https://www.expedia.com/Bhaktapur-Hotels-Milla-Guesthouse-Bhaktapur.h92473444.Hotel-Information?semcid=US.UB.GOOGLE.PT-DSA-c-EN.HOTEL&amp;semdtl=a115386231949.b1135483319172.g1dsa-1395323010651.e1c.m1EAIaIQobChMIk8aNnN2OhAMVeqhmAh1XnQzzEAAYASAAEgLx9fD_BwE.r1.c1.j19070019.k19070016.d1660853990790.h1.i1.l1.n1.o1.p1.q1.s1.t1.x1.f1.u1.v1.w1&amp;gad_source=5&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk8aNnN2OhAMVeqhmAh1XnQzzEAAYASAAEgLx9fD_BwE" target="_blank">Milla Guest House</a> in Bhaktapur.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240203090236_94149caf4a2b8f520f36a07d71f328a86a87e9676608c09ce44a0d549b53302f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240203090236_94149caf4a2b8f520f36a07d71f328a86a87e9676608c09ce44a0d549b53302f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1517" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Götz Hagmüller NT"> </figure>  He made the 300-year-old <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19497" target="_blank">Kuthu Math</a> pilgrim’s rest house his home, &nbsp;spending three decades restoring the courtyard’s architecture that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/style-and-substance" target="_blank">retained the original look </a>and feel of the Kathmandu Valley civilisation that was being steadily overtaken by urban expansion. The restoration of Patan Museum, Bhaktapur and Kaiser Mahal are models of heritage conservation, and an inspiration for architects not just in Nepal but around the world. Kuthu Math’s courtyard with its moist greenery is a serene oasis in Bhaktapur’s urbanscape, and murals that were discovered in the interior walls during restoration have been carefully preserved. “It is my determination to preserve the spiritual core of the Valley that keeps me motivated,” Hagmüller once told Nepali Times. “Kuthu Math is aesthetically pleasing, and remains as practical to live in as it is beautiful.” The young Hagmüller studied architecture at Technische Universität in Vienna, and discovered early on that he was much more fascinated by aesthetics and beauty than engineering calculations. Later, he was involved in conservation work in Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Luang Prabang in Laos before he came to Nepal to work for the Bhaktpur German project in 1979.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240203090236_bc300643137a0eb900bf640b0b5a3382e36ea1f009def3386c3b821d626dd232.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240203090236_bc300643137a0eb900bf640b0b5a3382e36ea1f009def3386c3b821d626dd232" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Götz Hagmüller NT"> <figcaption>Kuthu Math, the former pilgrim’s guesthouse in Bhaktapur. Photo: THOMAS KELLY</figcaption> </figure>  The legacy of Hagmüller’s life’s work in Kathmandu was not just to preserve its cultural legacy, but to make his projects sustainable. Having worked with the Nepal government, he understood that maintenance and sustainability were weak points — it was not enough just to restore a heritage site. He ensured that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/patans-museum-piece" target="_blank">Patan Museum</a> and Garden of Dreams had local trusts that would be its custodians. Patan Museum, for instance, gets more than 50,000 visitors a year and the entrance fees are ploughed into upkeep and expansion work. Towards the end of his life, with memory failing, Hagmüller would worry about what was happening to his beloved Kathmandu Valley with its population explosion and haphazard growth.&nbsp; “A lot has changed. Some of the buildings I cannot recognise anymore as I walk through the old streets of Bhaktapur," <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/The-guardian-of-the-shadows-%20G%C3%B6tz%20Hagm%C3%BCller,3352" target="_blank">Hagmüller told Nepali Times in 2017</a>. “But personally I’m very content with my own work, I wouldn't have done anything differently.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240203110232_cf1b5767bac04cfc04da5903355113eeff3ff654a3c2640cca281d56542c9fcc.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240203110232_cf1b5767bac04cfc04da5903355113eeff3ff654a3c2640cca281d56542c9fcc" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="400" loading="lazy" alt="Götz Hagmüller"> </figure>  In 2001, Hagmüller was conferred the Gorkha Dakshin Bahu national medal by <a href="http://nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=11394#.V2JNsrt97IU" target="_blank">King Birendra</a> in recognition of his preservation work. The <a href="http://www.bundespraesident.at/en/functions/rights-and-responsibilities/decorations-of-honour/" target="_blank">Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art</a> was also awarded to him at a <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/G%C3%B6tz-Hagm%C3%BCller-awarded,3099" target="_blank">ceremony in 2016</a> in the Patan Museum courtyard, which he helped restore. “It is very very special for me to get this award from the Austrian government at the Patan Museum, which was Austria’s first big contribution to the cultural preservation in Nepal,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYRvihUH8t4" target="_blank">he said after the award</a>. Despite failing health, Hagmüller worked on the two-volume <a href="https://www.wolf.at/produkt/a-picture-book-of-my-life-2-volumes-set-signiert/" target="_blank">A Picture Book of My Life</a> that was published in 2017, and is available in Kathmandu bookshops.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240203110236_9acb180ab80363319130ab45e27fc403e6f727e938e3a4af8198bef6b0982dab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_13" data-image-id="20240203110236_9acb180ab80363319130ab45e27fc403e6f727e938e3a4af8198bef6b0982dab" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Götz Hagmüller"> </figure>  Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYRvihUH8t4" target="_blank">video clip</a> of the Austrian Cross award ceremony.

Kunda Dixit

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Kathmandu’s legacy is Götz Hagmüller’s legacy

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171148/636937689c7e80680e03fe34jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1256" height="1161"/><figcaption>The KVS core crew Lisa Choegyal, Craig Potton and Gautam SJB Rana on location in Babar Mahal.</figcaption></figure>“Actually, we are only photographing the house, if that’s all right.” The chatelaine at the foot of the sweeping staircase beneath a massive chandelier had obviously gone to great trouble with her appearance, draped in a yellow sequinned chiffon sari and hair freshly coiffed. She smiled in disappointment, “Of course, of course! Do please come in.”Our motley crew on the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15470#.XBh3pdIza70">Kathmandu Valley Style</a> photo shoot set to work. His lanky frame bent over the tripod, Craig Potton was a fast worker, better known as New Zealand’s leading photographer of iconic nature and national park images, ubiquitous on Kiwi posters, calendars and postcards. His eager local assistants, Tino and Lothoto my Tibetan nephew, wrestled with reflectors, unreliable lights, loose electric plugs and power cuts.Read also: <a style="letter-spacing: 0.01em; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/a-house-in-budanilkantha/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A house in Budanilkantha</a>, Lisa Choegyal<a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.15px;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=9501#.XBh4AtIza70">Gautam SJB Rana</a>, mastermind of <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.15px;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/business/small-is-beautiful-boutique-hotels,3647">Babar Mahal Revisited</a>, author of <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.15px;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5358#.XBh37NIza70">Ranas of Nepal</a> and my collaborator, had arranged access to an array of rarefied interiors and private residences that had never before been glimpsed by the public. His volatile talent was knowing where to find exquisite examples of Nepali architectural adaptations and persuading homeowners, often his relatives, to allow us to reveal them in our book to celebrate the <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.15px;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/patan-museum-updated,1304">Valley’s vernacular styles</a> and artisan virtuosity.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171148/6369376b9c7e80680e03fe35jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="174">Our aim was to showcase the lesser-known and more imaginative models of Malla Newar, Rana neo-classical and Tibetan architectural and decorative styles in new buildings and restored old ones around the Valley. Only a couple had the temerity to turn us down.Kathmandu Valley Style was a book crying out to be produced, but gestation and birth took a surprisingly long time. First proposed as Nepal Style by <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.15px;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15715#.XBh6tNIza70">Hans Hoefer</a>, Insight Guide pioneer, the idea was for me to collaborate with Italian photographer Luca Invernizzi Tettoni,creator of many of the Style series around Asia starting with Thai Style in 1989 with William Warren. Despite a near miss in 2003, this Singapore plan fell by the wayside.The concept went through a number of incarnations until Kathmandu Valley Style saw the light of day in 2008, published by Shane Suvikapakornkul of Serindia Publications Chicago, designed in New Zealand and printed in China – a true international effort. Keen to accompany us on location, Shane’s Harry Potter glasses and gently encouraging presence were a calming influence on the team, and he hosted a splendid launch of Thai Nepal glitterati at his Bangkok gallery<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171148/6369376c9c7e80680e03fe36jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="911"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>I was lucky to find Craig in a spiritual frame of mind and persuadable to spend some weeks in Nepal over several visits in 2007 – we both needed a change of pace and this project was an ideal opportunity, as well as a mutual passion. Being a climber and environmentalist, Craig had longstanding connections with the country – we trekked the same year to Mustang with his teenage son, who he claimed was conceived in Chitwan. Craig had startled me into our first book back in 1995, Offerings from Nepal, a largely forgotten collection of edgy images of real life in Nepal that was a refreshing change from the usual chocolate box coffee table tomes of the day.Such is the wealth and variety of styles in the intoxicating intensity of the Kathmandu Valley, we decided to focus our mission and leave the wider Nepal and Himalaya to others. My list shows we covered nearly 50 houses, hotels, restaurants and gardens, in addition to historic palaces and world heritage sites – not all made the cut.Gautam’s punishing schedule had us covering several locations a day in all corners of the Valley. Royalty, Ranas, Newars, Tibetans, Ambassadors and Western expatriates were prevailed upon to open their doors to us and our speedy camerawork. More than one host remarked: “Are you finished already?” as we piled into the car and sped on to the next appointment, thanking them profusely.<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/The-guardian-of-the-shadows-%20G%C3%B6tz%20Hagm%C3%BCller,3352">Goetz Hagemuller’s</a> matchless <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19497#.XBh5mNIza70">Kuthu Math</a> in Bhaktapur was always a first choice for the cover, that arbiter of  style whose sure taste has powerfully pervaded so many Valley restorations, and Dwarika’s, which still defines the high bar of heritage hotels and master craftsmanship.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171148/6369376f9c7e80680e03fe37jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1632" height="1224"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>We appreciated the elegant intimacy of Chino and Elizabeth Roncoroni's farmhouse, another trendsetter of Nepali design, Gert-Matthias Wegner’s music studio, and the precious jewel of Bal Krishna Sama’s artist cottage.One sunny afternoon found us on the Valley rim at Kakani where we took the liberty of rearranging furniture in the British Resident’s historic bungalow – dating from the mid-nineteen century, tragically it was destined not to survive the 2015 earthquakes. Quite a number of other properties have also gone missing –the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=16101#.XBh589Iza70">James Giambrone’s Indigo Gallery</a> has moved, Janet Rockwell’s Bansbari Bungalow has been encroached, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Jim-Danisch-and-Barbara-Adams%20-passed-away-this-month,3007">Barbara Adams</a>’ Thapa House is changed forever, and Ian Baker’s questionable collection had evaporated even before publication.It is heartening that most of the Nepali and Tibetan homes are less transitory, with their carved woodwork, moulded bricks, gilded columns, art deco profusion, painted furniture, elaborate decoration and silk hangings. Many of the more glorious illustrations still endure as accessible spaces – Romi Khosla’s Gorkarna Forest Hotel, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6824#.XBh6XtIza70">Bharat Basnet’</a>s Bhojan Griha restaurant and <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19765#.XBh6g9Iza70">Niels Gutschow</a>’s fanciful stupa-studded lobby at the Hyatt Regency hotel.But did Kathmandu Valley Style succeed in convincing residents to commit to restore and reuse historic buildings, or adopt their incomparable and admired indigenous designs in new constructions? After a casual glance around Valley architecture, I think not.Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15470#.XBncQdszaUl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ancient modern</a>

Lisa Choegyal

The making of 'Kathmandu Valley Style'

It is only April, and Himalayan expeditions are already making rotations to acclimatise on Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, and will soon be making summit pushes.&nbsp; On Mt Everest, Icefall Doctors are fixing ropes and ladders into the Western Cwm as international climbers arrive at Base Camp. Spring 2026 is going to be the busiest and most crowded so far in the Nepal Himalaya. The main reason is that China has closed expeditions from the north side for eight-thousanders Everest and Cho Oyu, and also Xixapangma.&nbsp; The closure is informal, from what one can make out. The Chinese have not put out any official statement, but there are no permits either. The reason seemingly was the ‘Rising Dragon’ firework display last September by pyrotechnic artist Cai Guo-Qiang near Xigatse.&nbsp; Working with outdoor wear company Arc’teryx, Guo-Qiang set off an impressive sequence of orange and white fireworks that wound up a mountain. The spectacular display was criticised for damaging the fragile ecology of the Tibetan Plateau. But this cannot be the only reason the north side is closed. Experienced Everest blogger Alan Arnette anticipates that about 125 climbers will shift to the Nepal side of the mountains, and expects there to be up to 900 summits this spring — up from the highest spring number so far of 876 climbers on top in 2019.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260404050428_8c31812bf38f699c4faa74f25814a6ddaee397f71a629e549023f29250f05082.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20260404050428_8c31812bf38f699c4faa74f25814a6ddaee397f71a629e549023f29250f05082" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="mountaineering"> <figcaption>Photo: KARMA TENZING</figcaption> </figure>  The early Base Camp arrivals are having problems with their first rotations because of heavy snow this season. Unlike previous springs, this year has seen back-to-back blizzards at high altitudes since February. The increased snow load on the slopes have increased avalanche danger right across the mountains.&nbsp; There has been an increase in numbers on Everest despite the West Asia war, flight disruptions, LPG shortage and new regulations. The permit fee has gone up for the first time since 2015 from $11,000 to $15,000 this year.&nbsp; The Tourism Bill passed by Nepal’s Upper House last year would have required climbers to have first summitted a 7,000m peak in Nepal before attempting Everest. However, the Department of Tourism has confirmed that there are no new experience requirements this season. Some want this rule changed to include 7,000m peaks anywhere in the world. That could be one reason people are rushing to climb Everest before the Nepal government changes its mind and enforces the new regulations on prior experience on Everest. “It’s probably going to encourage a lot of people that simply are not ready to go,” reckons Alan Arnette. “Once again, we may see a lot of inexperienced people on the mountain trying to get in before the rule comes into place, if it does.”&nbsp; Arnette has always been sceptical of Everest regulations, and points out many instances where rules have been announced but not implemented over the ten years that he has been tracking them. For example, a helicopter ban to Everest Base Camp was announced last year, but rescinded. A rule requiring climbers to bring down waste was never seriously enforced. Since there is so much money involved for the government and for the operators, any any rule that would reduce revenue is never fully implemented. This year there is another ‘High-Altitude Trash Quota’ rule requiring climbers and guides operating above Camp 2 to collect and bring down at least 2kg of waste from the higher camps.&nbsp; The Nepal government has tried to diversify peaks on offer by reducing the royalty on climbs, but the draw of Everest, Annapurna and other eight-thousanders seems to be too great. Even when the permit fees for some remote peaks like Kangri Shar, Himlung and Api, were reduced to $400, there are few takers.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260402120436_a90cd44858e97086f773aa1fbd592b3434bb07d89cd4a1843b2ca32a84e7c72d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20260402120436_a90cd44858e97086f773aa1fbd592b3434bb07d89cd4a1843b2ca32a84e7c72d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Photo Damien Francois"> <figcaption>Photo: DAMIEN FRANCOIS</figcaption> </figure>  TIME LAPSE Clients and expedition operators have been trying to shorten the time needed to complete an Everest expedition from the city of origin to the top and back. Since Nepal has no rules about spending a certain number of days in acclimatisation, this has allowed some expedition organisers to use new technology.&nbsp; Austrian operator Lukas Furtenbach last May led a group of four British ex-military clients to the summit within a week of leaving London. This climb was scrutinised because the group had practiced breathing xenon gas, a substance that increases the count of red blood cells and is banned in competitive sports. The climbers had also trained for months at home in hypoxic tents, and used supplemental oxygen during the actual climb.&nbsp; The success of that expedition prompted an investigation by Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, but there was nothing it could do because the team had taken the xenon in Germany two weeks before their trip. But even if they had administered the gas in Nepal, it would technically not be illegal. Furtenbach is firmly in favour of speed, and of using the gas. “The only reason why we are working with xenon is to make climbing safer, to protect climbers from high altitude sickness,” he says, arguing that the less time climbers spend on the mountains, the less their exposure is to disasters, sickness, and they also generate less trash.&nbsp; His firm, Furtenbach Adventure, offers a three-week Everest South Flash expedition, at a cost of €100,000, using custom oxygen systems. Other expeditions take up to two months.&nbsp; A young American duo of Ryan Mitchell and Justin Sockett got to Everest Base Camp five days ago. They are preparing for an oxygen-free summit attempt.&nbsp; ‘ Being around these mountains for one day has already brought me so much joy. Every time I come back to the Khumbu I feel more familiar and connected,’ posted Mitchell. He and Sockett have since summitted Lobuche East (6,119m) as they continue to acclimatise and wait for the Khumbu Icefall route to be fixed.&nbsp; There are other sans-O2 trips planned this climbing season in Nepal. Norwegian Kristin Harila, the fastest in the world to climb all 14 8,000ers (in 92 days), is attempting the Nuptse, Lhotse, and Everest three-peak climb without supplemental oxygen. American Tyler Andrews and Ecuadorian Karl Egloff are continuing their race to break records in Everest. While Andrews is attempting the Fastest Known Time from Base Camp to the top without oxygen, Egloff is taking it a step further and going for a round trip: from Base Camp to the summit and back in record time.&nbsp; Both Egloff and Andrews had attempted these climbs in 2025 spring, but abandoned around 7,000m due to bad weather.&nbsp; Kami Rita Sherpa wants to extend his all-time record of total Everest summits to 32, while Kenton Cool from England is chasing 20, a non-Nepali record.&nbsp; The first summits of the season will be in late April, or early May depending on weather. Besides Everest, there are a lot of interesting climbs on lesser known peaks.&nbsp; The Japanese trio of Masayuki Takenaka, Tatsuro Sugimoto, and Ryota Nomura, for example, are attempting the unclimbed Jarkya Himal (6,473m) near Manaslu. &nbsp;&nbsp; <h2>Fake rescues</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260402120436_600c0176e24327fd3dfcfd634e4b871f3e5314aa00eb4885ad137ac6f9c4a3b6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20260402120436_600c0176e24327fd3dfcfd634e4b871f3e5314aa00eb4885ad137ac6f9c4a3b6" data-rendition-name="original" width="800" height="519" loading="lazy" alt="Fake rescues"> </figure>  This year’s spring climbing season has coincided with Nepal’s new government taking action against alleged perpetrators in fake rescues and insurance fraud. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has already arrested more than a dozen trekking agency executives, hospital managers and helicopter company executives for medevac insurance fraud. Climbers are known to fabricate medical emergencies, get flown down from as high as Camp II on Everest, and then submit false insurance claims.&nbsp; Sometimes one flight is made to look like many using fake invoices. Trekking companies are also involved in fake rescues of hikers who just get tired of walking.&nbsp; Too many fake claims could lead to insurer’s losing confidence in the industry, and increased premiums, leading to delayed responses in real accidents.&nbsp; As a result of the scandal, there is now more scrutiny from the government about rescues. Already, helicopter operators have to wait for permission before carrying out rescues while their application is vetted.&nbsp; The worry is that this could cause unnecessary delays when time is of the essence in mountain rescue. Already, medevacs are delayed because of the bureaucracy needing permits to fly to sensitive regions bordering China. Last year, a climber died on Himlung because helicopter rescue took too long while operators ran from door to door in Kathmandu to obtain necessary permits. <h2>Mingma David Sherpa, MP</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260402120432_05c1600440327f4ae4bcae641b634714951f45702080a88d4e2628587190aa25.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20260402120432_05c1600440327f4ae4bcae641b634714951f45702080a88d4e2628587190aa25" data-rendition-name="original" width="960" height="958" loading="lazy" alt="Mingma David Sherpa"> </figure>  Meet Mingma David Sherpa, Nepal’s first mountaineer to be nominated to Parliament. Sherpa is a self-made professional climber from Rolwaling, who rose up from an expedition porter to a record-breaking mountaineer and expedition organiser. As an insider, he is now in a position to streamline laws related to Nepal’s trekking and mountaineering sector. He is co-owner of EliteExped with Nims Purja, and in 2021 the two were part of a team of Nepali climbers to be the first to make it to the top of K2 in winter, the second highest mountain in the world in Pakistan.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260402120432_c4ec586e7a27b09a72e61925a3897d843f864563d9e82a3fd3e25293e22cbe54.png" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20260402120432_c4ec586e7a27b09a72e61925a3897d843f864563d9e82a3fd3e25293e22cbe54" data-rendition-name="original" width="2082" height="1396" loading="lazy" alt="Mingama David Sherpa"> </figure>  Mingma David was also on Purja’s Project Possible to climb all the 14 eight-thousanders in six months, shattering the previous record of seven years. He was featured in Purja’s documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.&nbsp; At age 30 he became the youngest climber to reach the top of all 14 eight-thousanders for which he was awarded the Piolet d’Or. Mingma David has taken part in dozens of successful rescues of fellow climber, including the highest ever long-line rescue on Dhaulagiri and saving the life of fellow-climber from 8,600m on Everest. <h2>April Fool</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260402120432_775afff27d4a2889a60730aa25bbc5f8eb8ea343528c8c031a6febbfd74814c4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20260402120432_775afff27d4a2889a60730aa25bbc5f8eb8ea343528c8c031a6febbfd74814c4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1365" height="1820" loading="lazy" alt="Furtenback Adventures"> </figure>  The Austrian expedition outfitting company Furtenbach Adventures spoofed the anticipated crowds on an April First post on social media this week, showing ‘a fully galvanized, weather-resistant steel staircase, complete with a sturdy handrail’ to make the Hillary Step bottleneck on Mt Everest less dangerous.

Nepal Himalaya Spring 2026

Samsung Nepal has opened pre-orders for the Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G. Both phones run Samsung’s One UI 8.5, featuring AI capabilities like voice transcription, Circle to Search, and photo editing. They feature a 50MP triple-camera system, a Super AMOLED display, and six years of OS and security updates.

Galaxy A series

The war in West Asia has exposed the fragility of the economic architecture Nepal has built on over two generations. If the conflict continues, growth across developing Asia will slow and prices will rise. For Nepal, this will be felt through higher living costs, weaker economic activity, and growing uncertainty for the millions of families who depend on remittances.&nbsp; Nepal now needs to structurally transform from exporting labour to investing in domestic job creation. &nbsp; The country's current path toward a knowledge economy has a blind spot. A <a href="https://iids.org.np/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/unleashing.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> by the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) in Kathmandu shows that IT export companies alone generated 7,228 jobs and income for 66,509 freelancers.&nbsp; We are building digital labour export, not an economy that accumulates institutional knowledge. The Nepali Upwork developer and a migrant construction worker in the Gulf are engaged in the same economic activity, but with different tools. Nepal’s reliance on a <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.TRF.PWKR.DT.GD.ZS?locations=NP" target="_blank">remittance-driven economy,</a> means the country has failed to create enough <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/nepal/publication/unlocking-nepal-s-growth-potential" target="_blank">quality jobs</a> at home. For millions of young people, leaving the country is not a choice but a necessity to survive and support families back home. <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/nepal/publication/unlocking-nepal-s-growth-potential" target="_blank">Remittances</a> have no doubt helped reduce poverty. Thirty years ago, 55% of Nepal’s population lived on less than $2.15 a day, now it is 20% after the absolute poverty line was revised upwards. This progress has come at a cost — &nbsp;an economy that depends more on exporting workers than creating opportunities at home. This development reflects a deeper political failure to create meaningful jobs within the country. Since the democratic transition in 1991, Nepal’s leadership has largely recycled the same faces, with limited progress on job creation or industrial growth.&nbsp; Nepal cannot build a <a href="https://nipore.org/accelerating-nepals-startups/" target="_blank">knowledge economy</a> while its most ambitious people are outbound to Doha and Tokyo. We are also not just losing ‘labour’. We are losing the entrepreneurial risk tolerance of our youth.&nbsp; If the most ambitious 25-year-olds are abroad, who is left to support innovation and entrepreneurship? The same people who are working tirelessly abroad, are our biggest asset for development. Their work ethic and the know-how inurban renewal could well fit into the new RSP government’s mandate of 7% annual growth.&nbsp; The <a href="https://english.biznessnews.com/posts/-nepal%E2%80%99s-it-exports-cross-1-billion-" target="_blank">$1B milestone</a> of IT exports is a celebratory moment for Nepal. However, that cannot lead to a pathway to a $100 billion economy without innovation ecosystems that go beyond individual labour export. Companies like SecurityPal and industry associations such as NASIT have made significant efforts in building such an environment, recently championed by private sector leaders as a &nbsp;<a href="https://www.securitypalhq.com/blog/silicon-peaks" target="_blank">Silicon Peaks</a> model that emphasises a home growth tech cluster. The need to accelerate this transition is even more urgent with the escalating conflict in West Asia. &nbsp;The recent International Labour Organisation (ILO) <a href="https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2026-03/Nepal%20LDC%20Graduation%20Employment%20Impacts%20Report.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> shows that LDC graduation is expected to adversely impact manufacturing with losses of $1 billion by 2030.&nbsp; If manufacturing takes such a large hit from losing trade preferences, then Nepal’s services and IT sectors need to structurally transform and shift from exporting individual talent to building firms. &nbsp; A generation’s frustration has finally forced a shift in Nepal’s political structure, handing the new government a clear mandate to fix failures. But the question still persists: what prevents Nepal from achieving sustained, productivity-driven growth? &nbsp;&nbsp; RSP is in the right place at the right time to put Nepal's economy on a firm footing. At the heart of Nepal’s economic underperformance lies a major development binding constraint: low returns to investment on projects.&nbsp; The government invests like a high-growth economy, with gross capital formation at around <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.GDI.FTOT.ZS?locations=NP" target="_blank">25–30 percent of GDP</a>. Yet economic growth remains modest. The problem is not how much the country invests, but how little it gets in return. One way to see this is by looking at how much investment is required to generate growth.&nbsp; Nepal needs large amounts of capital to produce relatively small gains in output (graph, below). For instance, in 2024, the ICOR was 8.29, this suggests that Nepal had to invest more than 8 units of capital to produce a one unit of additional economic output.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260406040412_605dc527641d2ff2dc5723ed8bbec946898331d5538a55b9941e32a0725bf811.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20260406040412_605dc527641d2ff2dc5723ed8bbec946898331d5538a55b9941e32a0725bf811" data-rendition-name="original" width="1827" height="925" loading="lazy" alt="Economy graph"> <figcaption>Source: Author's calculation based on a Growth Diagnostic simulation</figcaption> </figure>  This reflects a deeper issue in how investment is allocated and executed. Capital is often locked in low-productivity sectors or diluted by delays, inefficiencies, and policy uncertainty.&nbsp; As a result, even high levels of investment fail to translate into sustained growth. Until investment shifts toward productive, firm-building activities, higher spending alone will not deliver results. &nbsp; To reverse this, the government must focus on raising the returns to investment by enabling firms to grow and compete. This requires a shift from managing scarcity to creating an environment where capital can generate consistent and predictable returns. A central priority should be given to attracting and retaining both domestic and foreign private investment. Investors do not just respond to direct incentives, but also to policy stability in the country. Nepal’s economy cannot sustain high growth if its human capital continues to leave the country.&nbsp; The goal should not simply be to create jobs, but to build companies that scale, innovate, and compete beyond Nepal. This requires supporting sectors with strong productivity potential and ensuring that firms can expand without being constrained by infrastructure gaps or regulatory friction. Finally, the state must improve the quality of its own investment. Public spending should focus on lowering the cost of doing business through reliable electricity, efficient logistics, and digital infrastructure.&nbsp; The GenZ movement took two days to bring change. The economic transformation of Nepal might take a generation. The RSP can accelerate this transition, but only if it focuses on building a better investment climate for business and not just feeding the global labour pool. Kailash Raj Pandey is an MPA/ID and MBA candidate at Harvard Kennedy School and MIT Sloan School of Management and a fellow at MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Innovation and Prosperity.&nbsp; Siddhartha Raymajhí is a policy researcher based in Kathmandu.

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Nepal Himalaya Spring 2026

Galaxy A series

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