KATHMANDU, Nepal –  Nepal has opened Mount Everest to climbers for the first time since an earthquake-triggered avalanche in April killed 19 mountaineers and ended the popular spring climbing season.

Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki will be the first to attempt to scale the world’s highest peak since the quake. Nepal’s tourism minister, Kripasur Sherpa, gave Kuriki the climbing permit at a ceremony in Kathmandu on Sunday.

Kuriki plans to leave for the mountain on Tuesday by helicopter and then reach the summit in mid-September. The autumn season is considered a difficult time to attempt Everest and is generally avoided by climbers.

The earthquake in April killed nearly 9,000 people in Nepal and also destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings.