Nepal to waive some climbing permit fees for two years

• Nepal has announced a two-year waiver on climbing permit fees for 97 peaks located in the remote Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces.
• This measure seeks to attract mountaineers to lesser-known areas, thereby stimulating tourism and economic growth in these underdeveloped regions.
• Conversely, the permit fee for Mount Everest will increase significantly from $11,000 to $15,000 in September this year.
• Climbing permit fees are a vital revenue stream for Nepal, with mountaineering and trekking collectively accounting for over four per cent of the national economy.
• The newly fee-exempt peaks could potentially serve as training grounds for a proposed law requiring climbers to conquer a 7,000m Nepalese peak before attempting Everest.

IN FULL

Nepal makes nearly 100 peaks free to climb as it pushes these top alternatives to overcrowded Everest