Climbers making their way to the summit of Mount Everest on May 18, 2013. AP Novice climbers could soon be barred from attempting to climb Mount Everest under plans drawn up by Nepalese officials in an effort to confront safety and overcrowding concerns.

The proposals, which also involve barring disabled and elderly climbers from the mountain, come after 18 people were killed in April at Everest's base camp in an avalanche that was triggered by the devastating Nepal earthquake.

The plans are likely to provoke accusations of discrimination against Nepalese officials, and they could also have a negative impact on a major source of revenue for the impoverished country, which generates millions of dollars through selling climbing permits.

Scaling the 29,000-foot summit (8,850 meters) of the world's highest peak is a major attraction for climbers, but recent years have seen an increase in novices who rely heavily on guides.

The proposed regulations would prohibit those who had previously not scaled a mountain of at least 6,500 meters, AFP said, citing tourism department chief Govinda Karki.

Officials were also said to be seeking to limit the highest peaks of the Himalayas to climbers aged between 18 and 75. Currently people under 16 are not allowed to climb Everest, but there is no upper age limit.

Last week Japanese climber Junko Tabei, who in 1975 became the first woman to climb Everest, said overcrowding on the mountain was causing environmental issues.

"The more the number of climbers, the more human waste and garbage that are left on the mountain. This causes problems," she said.

Many of those who visited Everest this year did not attempt to scale the mountain after the avalanche.

In previous years, hundreds of "tourist climbers" attempted to scale Everest, much to the concern of experienced mountaineers.

The mountain continues to have an almost mystical attraction for many who have little or no experience of serious climbing.

The film "Everest," a thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Brolin in which a group of climbers are engulfed a blinding blizzard, is currently in the top five at the North American box office.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all but essential travel to Everest, to the frustration of tour operators.

Japanese mountaineer Nobukazu Kuriki, who lost eight fingers and a thumb because of frostbite in a previous bid to conquer Everest in 2012, had to give up on his latest attempt on Sunday, saying otherwise he "wouldn't be able to come back alive."

He would have been the first person to scale the summit since the earthquake, which killed nearly 8,900 people.