Polish Climber Faces 10 Year Ban in Nepal for Illegal Everest Traverse

Polish climber Janusz Adam Adamski

The Polish mountaineer who made an illegal traverse of Mt. Everest a few weeks back now knows his fate. Janusz Adamski was arrested by Nepali officials when he reached Kathmandu after he summited the world’s highest peak from the North Side, only to descend without a permit along the South Side in Nepal instead. That infraction brings a 10-year ban from climbing in Nepal and Adamski was later handed over to the Department of Immigration to handle his deportation from the country and possible further charges.

The Nepali Department of Tourism had several options when it came to dealing with Adamski. They could have banned him from entering the country at all for a period of five years, or alternatively they could have imposed a fine equal to twice the cost of an Everest permit, which would be roughly $22,000. Instead, they went with the 10-year ban on climbing, as they did with South African Ryan Sean Davy, who also attempted to climb Everest without a permit.

For his part, Adamski has remained unrepentant. After he completed the traverse he called it the biggest accomplishment of his life and said that he didn’t regret his choice no matter the consequences. Right now, those consequences seem to be just this simple ban from climbing, which means he’s getting off fairly easy. At the age of 49 he may not have had too many more ambitions to climb in Nepal anyway and he has avoided paying the $22,000 fine.

Adamski is now be in the hands of immigration officials and will likely be deported from Nepal as early as today.

Kraig Becker