Nepal is planning on making the Mount Everest climb financially harder for mountain enthusiasts.
According to CNN, the permit fee for climbing the world’s tallest peak will increase by almost 35%, as shared by the authorities on Wednesday.
This raise would make Everest more expensive for mountaineers for the first time in nearly a decade.
In a struggling economy, income from permit fees and tourism is a key source of money for Nepal, which is home to the world’s 14 highest mountains.
Narayan Prasad Regmi, director general of the Department of Tourism shared that the license to climb the 8,848 meter Sagarmatha will cost $15,000, which was $11K for the past decade.
"The royalty (permit fees) had not been reviewed for a long time. We have updated them now," Regmi added.
The new rate will come into effect from September 2025 and will be applied for the popular climbing April-May season.
For the less popular season including September-November and December-February, the fees will also be increased to $7,500 and $3,750 respectively.
Along with that, Nepal has been criticised for not keeping the area clean, allowing too many climbers on Everest, or ensuring the safety of climbers.
