Nepal is taking a bold step to spread out its mountain tourism. The country will let climbers tackle 97 Himalayan peaks for free over the next two years. This move aims to draw visitors to lesser-known, far-off parts of the country.
This new plan comes as the cost to climb Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, is set to go up. From September, permits for Everest will cost $15,000 during the main climbing season. This is the first price hike in nearly ten years for the famous peak. Nepal’s tourism office hopes the free climbing offer will show off the nation’s many “unexplored tourism products and destinations.”
Mountain climbing brings a lot of money into Nepal. It is home to ten of the world’s highest peaks. Last year, climbing fees earned the country $5.9 million. More than three-quarters of that income came from Everest alone.
The peaks that are now free to climb are in Nepal’s Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces. These mountains range in height from about 5,970 meters to 7,132 meters. Both provinces are in western Nepal. They are among the poorest and least developed areas in the country.
Himal Gautam, a director at the Nepal Tourism Board, shared his thoughts on the plan. He noted that these areas are beautiful. Yet, very few visitors and climbers go there. This is because they are hard to reach. He hopes the new rule will help. He believes it can create jobs, bring in money, and boost the local economy.
Still, it is not clear if the government plans to improve roads and other services to these remote areas. It also remains to be seen how well local towns will handle a sudden rush of climbers. This could happen if the free climbing idea takes off.
Historically, these 97 remote peaks have not seen much interest from climbers. Only 68 people dared to climb them in the last two years. Compare that to Everest, which issued 421 climbing permits in 2024 alone.
Mount Everest, at over 8,849 meters, has faced its own challenges. In recent years, it has become very crowded. There are also environmental problems and many climbing attempts have ended in tragedy. In April 2024, Nepal’s Supreme Court told the government to limit climbing permits for Everest and other peaks. The court said authorities must respect what the mountains can handle.
Back in January, officials announced a 36% fee hike for those climbing Everest outside of the peak season. The cost to climb Everest from September to November will be $7,500. It will be $3,750 from December to February.
Nepal’s parliament is also discussing a new law. It would require climbers to conquer a peak over 7,000 meters in Nepal first. Only then could they try to climb Everest. This proposed rule makes the free peaks in Karnali and Sudurpashchim ideal spots for practice.
Source: BBC