Finding himself at the bottom of the mountain with not nearly enough money to climb to the top, a Johannesburg man decided to make a solo mission up Mount Everest.

On Monday, however, Ryan Sean Davy, 43, posted to his Facebook alerting his friends and family that he had been ordered off the mountain by the Nepalese government.

He now faces a $22 000 (R300 000) fine, has had his passport confiscated, and could face a five-year ban from the country as well as a 10-year ban on climbing in the country.

It costs $11 000 (R150 000) for a permit.

An AFP article on the situation reported what Gyanendra Shresth‚ the government liaison officer at the base camp, had to say about the situation:

I saw him alone near base camp so I approached him and he ran away.

I followed him with my friend and found him hiding in a cave nearby.

He had set up camp in an isolated place to avoid government officials.

Shresth also said he had told Davy to return to Kathmandu to retrieve it.

It is highly unusual for people to attempt to climb the mountain solo. According to a Wikipedia page titled “List of people who died climbing Mount Everest,” there have been 288 recorded deaths on the mountain since 1922, so there should be little wonder why the government has so many regulations regarding the matter.

However, while Davy’s Facebook started off with an apology asking for forgiveness from friends and family, he had little time for the Nepalese government:

Although it has yet to be confirmed if Davy ascended the 24 000 feet, Camp two is at 21 000 feet, with the summit being a further 8 030 feet up.

Davy’s Facebook is littered with albums from his climbs in Nepal, as well as a flood of support.

Let’s just hope this serves as a lesson for those who think they are above the law.

[source:timeslive]