Jalur pendakian tinggi di Nepal memasuki masa hening tiga hari. Mulai Kamis, 29 Oktober 2026, Departemen Imigrasi Nepal menghentikan penerbitan izin trekking untuk kawasan terbatas di zona tinggi dan meminta pendaki yang sudah berada di jalur berhenti di tempat aman. Penundaan berlaku sampai Sabtu, 31 Oktober.

Dasar keputusan itu peringatan cuaca. Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Nepal (NDRRMA) menetapkan siaga tinggi pada 29 sampai 31 Oktober. Siklon Arnab di Teluk Benggala membawa hujan lebat dan angin kencang, dan di ketinggian berubah menjadi badai salju serta longsor salju. Siklon itu mendarat di Andhra Pradesh, India, pada 28 Oktober. Uap sisa bertemu angin barat, lalu dampaknya ke Nepal diperkirakan masuk malam 29 Oktober dan memuncak pada 30 dan 31 Oktober.

Direktur Departemen Imigrasi Surya Prasad Chapagain menyebut penundaan ini murni pencegahan. Pendaki yang memegang izin kawasan terbatas diminta menunda perjalanan, sementara yang sudah di dalam diminta bertahan di lokasi aman. Trekking agency, pemandu, dan pemangku kepentingan lain diminta mematuhi imbauan itu.

Pengelola kawasan bergerak lebih jauh. Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) meminta semua pendakian di atas 3.000 meter ditunda sampai cuaca membaik. Cakupannya luas: Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit termasuk jalur Thorong La, Mardi Himal, jalur base camp Annapurna I yang dikenal sebagai Maurice Herzog Trail, dan Upper Mustang. Asosiasi agen trekking Nepal (TAAN) meminta agensi memindahkan klien dari lokasi berisiko dan menghentikan perjalanan ke base camp pendakian bila perlu.

Dari sisi penerbangan, Otoritas Penerbangan Sipil Nepal (CAAN) mengeluarkan peringatan keselamatan untuk 29 dan 30 Oktober. Hujan lebat, angin kencang, dan jarak pandang menurun berpotensi mengganggu lepas landas dan pendaratan, termasuk pada penerbangan menuju kawasan pegunungan.

Longsor salju di Nepal bukan kemungkinan yang jauh. Rekaman warga dari arah Pokhara pada Kamis siang memperlihatkan massa salju turun di dinding pegunungan Annapurna, dengan lapisan awan tebal menutup sebagian besar lereng. Hingga Kamis malam belum ada konfirmasi resmi soal puncak yang longsor, jalur yang terdampak, maupun korban. Karena itu rekaman tersebut dibaca sebagai indikasi visual, bukan bukti peristiwa.

Musim gugur tahun ini sendiri sudah berat. Menurut Departemen Pariwisata, 1.410 pendaki dari 76 negara memegang izin untuk 44 gunung, terbagi dalam 161 tim. Ama Dablam menjadi salah satu tujuan tersibuk dengan 386 pendaki, sementara Manaslu ditutup sejak September karena salju dan risiko longsor. Pada 27 September longsor menghantam base camp Himlung Himal, dua pemandu tewas. Pada 26 Oktober seorang pendaki Jerman berusia 57 tahun tewas setelah terjatuh saat turun dari Ama Dablam, dan dua pendaki Jepang ditemukan tewas di Gangapurna West.

Di Kathmandu, delegasi Federasi Mountaineering Indonesia berada di luar jangkauan jalur pendakian. Lima orang berada di Nepal sejak 28 Oktober sampai 5 November untuk Sidang Umum UIAA pada 30 dan 31 Oktober, sekaligus menandatangani kerja sama dengan Nepal Mountaineering Association, Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, dan TAAN. Tindak lanjutnya adalah pengiriman tim Indonesia untuk pelatihan High Altitude Mountain Rescue pada 2027 sampai 2028. Bagi pendaki Indonesia, pelajarannya sederhana: izin dan jadwal tidak pernah lebih kuat dari cuaca. Nomor darurat Nepal: 1155 untuk cuaca, 1144 untuk polisi pariwisata, dan 1234 untuk pusat penanggulangan bencana.

High-altitude routes in Nepal have entered a three-day pause. Starting Thursday, October 29, 2026, the Department of Immigration stopped issuing trekking permits for restricted areas in high-hill and Himalayan regions and asked trekkers already on the trails to stay in safe locations. The suspension runs until Saturday, October 31.

The decision rests on a weather warning. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) has placed the country on high alert from October 29 to 31. Cyclone Arnab in the Bay of Bengal is bringing heavy rain and strong winds, turning into snowstorms and avalanches at altitude. The cyclone made landfall in Andhra Pradesh, India, on October 28. Its residual moisture met westerly winds, and its effects on Nepal are expected to begin on the night of October 29 and peak on October 30 and 31.

Department of Immigration director Surya Prasad Chapagain said the delay is purely precautionary. Trekkers holding restricted-area permits have been asked to postpone their journeys, while those already inside are asked to remain in safe places. Trekking agencies, guides, and other stakeholders have been told to comply.

Conservation managers have gone further. The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) asked that all trekking above 3,000 metres be postponed until conditions improve. The scope is wide: Annapurna Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit including the Thorong La pass, Mardi Himal, the Annapurna I base camp route known as the Maurice Herzog Trail, and Upper Mustang. The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has asked agencies to move clients away from risky locations and to halt trips to climbing base camps where necessary.

On aviation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) issued a safety alert for October 29 and 30. Heavy rain, strong winds, and reduced visibility could disrupt take-offs and landings, including flights into mountain regions.

Avalanches in Nepal are not a distant possibility. Footage from residents on the Pokhara side on Thursday showed snow pouring down the Annapurna wall, with thick cloud covering much of the slope. As of Thursday night there was no official confirmation of which summit released the snow, which route was affected, or whether anyone was hurt. The footage is therefore read as a visual indication, not proof of an event.

This autumn has already been heavy. According to the Department of Tourism, 1,410 climbers from 76 countries hold permits for 44 mountains, spread across 161 teams. Ama Dablam is among the busiest with 386 climbers, while Manaslu has been closed since September due to snow and avalanche risk. On September 27 an avalanche hit the Himlung Himal base camp and killed two guides. On October 26 a 57-year-old German climber died after falling on his descent from Ama Dablam, and two Japanese climbers were found dead on Gangapurna West.

In Kathmandu, the Federasi Mountaineering Indonesia delegation is well outside the trekking routes. Five officials are in Nepal from October 28 to November 5 for the UIAA General Assembly on October 30 and 31, and to sign cooperation agreements with the Nepal Mountaineering Association, the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, and TAAN. The follow-up is an Indonesian team for High Altitude Mountain Rescue training in 2027 and 2028. For Indonesian climbers the lesson is simple: permits and schedules are never stronger than the weather. Nepal's emergency numbers: 1155 for weather, 1144 for tourist police, and 1234 for the disaster response centre.

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