1. Definition.
This Code applies to commercial expeditions attempting 8000m peaks which offer to guide or accompany climbers above Base Camp. It is not concerned with the many expeditions which employ trekking agencies to supply transport etc. to Base Camp, and may also supply Base Camp services and H.A. porters.

2. Rationale.
A variety of organisations offer to take clients on 8000m peaks. They vary from those which provide a full service to the summit or nearly to the summit, to those where there is minimal support for clients above Base Camp. However at the present moment it is difficult for clients to deduce from brochures exactly what is offered in terms of guiding and support, and whether it corresponds to their needs. This Code supplies clients with pointers to assist them to make an informed choice.

3. High Altitude Warning.
Mountaineers climbing at very high altitude, especially above 8000m are at the limit of their mental and physical powers and may not be capable of assisting others as has always been traditional in mountaineering. This fact is of particular importance to mountaineers of limited experience who rely on professional guides to bring them safely up and down 8000m peaks.

THE CODE

1.The leader or chief guide and as many as possible of the guides should have experience at least to the altitude of the peak to be climbed. [There is no qualification appropriate to high altitude guiding, so the term "guide" does not imply that the person holds a professional qualification. Clients can only judge from the previous experience of the guides, who may be westerners or Sherpas or other local mountaineers].

2.The staff on the mountain must be adequate for the aims of the party and the services offered.

3.A doctor in the party is very desirable but at the very least advance arrangements must be made for medical help. Advance arrangements must also be made for evacuation assistance in case of emergency.

4.The minimum safety equipment available must be walkie-talkie radios, a satellite phone, medical oxygen, and recommended First Aid supplies.

5.Advertising must give a true picture of all the difficulties and dangers involved, and avoid promising the impossible. Biographical information about the team should be included.

6.Clients should not usually be accepted for 8000m peaks unless they have previous altitude experience to 6-7000m.

7.Information supplied in advance should include a clear statement of the guiding and support offered.

8.The expedition must take account of the UIAA Environmental Objectives and Guidelines and follow the UIAA Expeditions Code of Ethics.

This Code was approved by the General Assembly of the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation