The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) is national alpine club in Nepal. Also, Nepal representative member of UIAA-International Federation of Mountaineering & Climbing.
NMA has decided to resume the Summer Skill for Professional Mountain Guide Course–2026, which is being conducted in collaboration with the Sustainable Tourism Project (STP), jointly supported by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
NMA had opened applications for the course on July 24, 2026. However, the training was subsequently suspended after an obstruction by Nepalese IFMGA mountain guides on July 27, 2026. It was reported that NMA’s Second Vice President and General Secretary were allegedly confined inside the NMA meeting hall and pressured to issue a notice announcing the suspension of the training. NMA has now decided to resume the Summer Skill for Professional Mountain Guide Training–2026. According to a notice issued by the Association on August 13, 2026, the training will resume from August 17, 2026.
Training annoucenet Notice
Training Based on a New Curriculum
According to NMA, the training is based on a newly developed curriculum approved by the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and the International Union of Mountaineering and Climbing Associations (UIAA).
Training Suspended Following Nepalese IFMGA-Related Obstruction; New Schedule Announced
Through a notice issued on July 27, 2026, the Association had announced the suspension of the training until further notice.
The decision was reportedly taken under the direction of NMA President Phurba Gelje Sherpa, in the presence of Second Vice President Bodh Raj Bhandari, General Secretary Rajendra Bahadur Lama, Convener of the Mountaineering, Training and Expedition Committee Phuri Geljen Sherpa, Nepalese IFMGA guides and NMA Executive Committee members Sandesh Sherpa and Bikram Karki, along with other office bearers of the Association. However, following efforts to overcome the obstruction, NMA issued a revised schedule on August 13 and announced that the training would resume.
Traning adjornment notice aftre the NNMGA/IFMGA Obstruction
Revised Schedule from Application to Training
According to the revised schedule published by NMA, applications will be accepted on August 14 and 15, 2026. Applicants are required to submit their applications at the NMA Secretariat, Nagpokhari, Naxal, Kathmandu.
Similarly, interviews will be conducted on August 16 and 17. The main training program is scheduled to run from August 16 to September 24, 2026, in Kathmandu and forther activies held on the Kanchenjunga region of Taplejung.
A maximum of 40 participants will be selected for the training. The course fee has been fixed at NPR 30,000 per participant, while applicants are required to pay NPR 100 for the application form at the NMA Secretariat.
Training reannouncement notice
Documents Required from Applicants
Candidates wishing to participate in the training must submit the following documents along with their applications:
- Copy of Nepali citizenship certificate.
- Certificate of the Mountaineering Fundamental Skill Course.
- Recommendation letter from an NMA Resource Member company.
- Medical report.
- Two passport-size photographs.
Following the suspension of the previously announced schedule, the application and interview processes have now been resumed according to the revised timetable.
Focus on Producing Skilled Professional Mountain Guides
According to NMA, producing skilled and certified mountain guides is considered essential for making Nepal’s mountain tourism sector safer, more professional, and internationally competitive.
The new Professional Mountain Guide Training curriculum is expected to strengthen participants’ technical skills, safety management capabilities, leadership skills, rescue and emergency-response competencies, and knowledge of the mountain environment. Through this training, the Nepal Mountaineering Association aims not only to produce qualified human resources required by Nepal’s mountain tourism industry but also to enhance the professional capacity of mountain guides and improve the overall quality of services in the sector.
With the suspended training now set to resume, the revised schedule provides an opportunity for candidates who had previously applied, as well as new applicants interested in participating in the course. The Association has urged all concerned candidates to follow the revised schedule and complete the application and other required procedures within the specified deadlines
