Kathmandu: Nepal has sharply increased permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by 36 per cent and also introduced a slew of measures aimed at controlling garbage pollution on the world’s tallest peak, officials said.
Under the revised mountaineering regulations, the royalty fee for foreigners climbing Everest from the normal south route in the spring season (March-May) has been raised to $15,000 from the current $11,000 per person.
The autumn season (September-November) climbing fee has increased from $5,500 to $7,500. At the same time, the permit cost per individual for the winter (December-February) and monsoon (June-August) seasons has risen from $2,750 to $3,750.
A Cabinet decision to this effect has already been made, though the official announcement is yet to come, said Arati Neupane, Director of the Tourism Board.
The new fees for climbing the 8848.86-metre peak will come into effect from September 1, 2025, she added.
The revised regulations, approved by the Cabinet will become effective once it is published in the Nepal Gazette. However, the royalty for Nepali climbers wishing to climb Everest will be increased by double from current Rs 75,000 to Rs 150,000 for autumn.