Preparedness and Peak Performance for Mountaineering Tourists

A key “watch item†was identified by McDonald et al. (2015) in a study conducted in Nepal that a growing number of tourists arrive largely unprepared for mountain expedition, undermining the risks of altitude, hypothermia, windchill, and weather conditions potentially leading to tragedies due to the lack of skillset, experience, and preparedness. Tourists believe Sherpas, if hired, should oversee all aspects of their ascent and descent. In the same study, one action item suggested that readiness strategies of expert high-altitude climbers should be collected, modified into a guidance document, and taught to all adventure tourists to increase safety and improve the mountain-tourism experience. The objective of this review is to move this idea forward by identifying readiness strategies and competencies of high-altitude mountaineers. Climbing-specific challenges are summarized and individual competencies for physical-, technical- and mental-readiness are identified for high-altitude mountain climbers. In addition, thirteen mountaineering performance indicators are identified. Given the context that Nepal has the opportunity to expand its mountain-tourism sector, we have made several recommendations for stakeholders that would be helpful when developing practical tools and guidance for low-altitude mountaineering tourists based on high-altitude competencies. New guidance will improve safety and tourist experiences for mountain tourists.