Everest south side update: First two climbing permits issued in Nepal;

09:50 pm EDT Mar 19, 2008 (MountEverest.net) Today, ExplorersWeb received the following email from a spokesman for the Nepal Ministry of Tourism:

"We start to give mountaineering permits from today. Two teams have taken permit for Dhaulagiri & Ama Dablam. Regarding Everest, the government will decide tomorrow (ed: Thursday local) in a positive way."

The spokesman further reports that the Ministry plans to issue permits after the governments "positive" decision; albeit with "some instructions to the concerned Agency, Climbers & supporting members."

The instruction will concern the period of May 1-10. All teams will be allowed up to camp 2 until May 1, but will be required to "rest" in BC between May 1-10. Starting May 11, the climb will be unrestricted, the Ministry official wrote.

Yesterday, the following Press Release was published by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation:

"The Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation(MoCTCA) issuing a press statement on March 18, 2008 denied the claim that it has suspended the mountaineering expedition to Mt. Everest saying that the dissemination of false information quoting the ministry in this issue has drawn the attention of MoCTCA."

"MoCTCA in its press statement said that the Ministry has not banned climbing expedition on Mt. Everest and other Himalayan peaks and the policy related to mountaineering expeditions has remained same as previous. Issuing the press statement, Spokesperson of MoCTCA, Joint Secretary Mr. Prem Kumar Rai has requested all media to contact spokesperson of the ministry for the fact before disseminating the information concerning with the Ministry."