Nepal has decided to get serious about the touristification of the Himalayas

Everest is an extreme place, dangerousdifficult to access, roof of the world and one of its most unknown points. But of course It is not an inhospitable place.. Its magnetism is so powerful that every year hundreds and hundreds of mountaineers, plus their Sherpas, put their backpacks on their backs to climb its 8,849 meters. It is estimated that in 2018, before the pandemic, they reached the summit more than 800 climbers. And the forecasts for this year’s spring season are generous, with about 700 summits from Nepal and Tibet.

With these data, the Nepalese authorities have made a decision: increase the rates They charge almost 40%.

A demanding goal… and expensive. Summiting Everest is not easy. Not cheap either. Especially from September onwards, when Nepal expects skyrocket rates which charges climbers in exchange for the permits necessary to climb the highest mountain on the planet. Prices had not been touched for almost a decade, so in Kathmandu they have decided to go all out, increasing their rates about 36%. In hard cash that translates into thousands of extra dollars for those hoping to summit Everest.

How much will they cost now? Starting in September, those who want a Nepalese permit to climb the mountain will have to pay $15,0004,000 more than now. This is during the most popular climbing season, April to May, and on the standard route of the southeast ridge, the South Col. From September to November and from December to February, less crowded months, rates will also increase by 36% to reach, respectively, 7,500 and 3,750 dollars.

An expected rise. The update of rates (the first “in a long time”, defend from the Nepal Tourism Department), will make the climb to Everest even more expensive; but it will probably have caught few climbers by surprise. “We expected this increase in rates,” recognizes Guardian Lukas Furtenbach, from the Austrian expedition company Furtenbach Adventures.

In his opinion, this is an “understandable” decision by the Nepalese Government and he trusts that the extra dollars that enter its coffers starting in September will be used on the mountain itself, protecting its ecosystem and reinforcing security.

Key to the region. If we talk about mountains, Nepal is not just any country: it is home to eight of the 14 famous ‘peaks 8,000’ on the planet, making it a coveted destination for mountaineers. And that in turn generates an interesting source of income for its population. The BBC estimates that mountaineering and hiking more than 4% of the country’s economy and throughout recent years there have been several experts who have tried to quantify exactly how much mountain tourism contributes to the region.

“Mountain tourism is an important source of income for the inhabitants of the Himalayas, since agriculture is limited in these places due to harsh climatic conditions and poor crops,” points out Sayas D. Joshi at Nepal Economic Forum. According to the data it managed in 2022, the activity leaves the villagers between 150 and 250 million Nepalese rupees each year in salaries and services, in addition to the activity it generates for agencies and operators.

A valuable source of income. “According to data from the Nepal Mountaineering Association, seasonal employment in all categories of supporting labor ranges between 40,000 and 50,000 people. Climbing is a crucial business that brings much-needed income to the rural economy,” duck.

“The 2021 spring season saw the highest number of Everest expedition teams since COVID-19, with more than 400 climbing permits issued. Mountaineering licenses have generated about 470 million Nepalese rupees in revenue for the Government”. For reference, that sum is equivalent to $3.4 million.

The other bill. The influx of mountaineers aiming for the summit does not only translate into rupees, employment and fees. For Everest it means something equally or even more palpable: garbage and excrement, tons of waste which have even led the authorities to demand that mountaineers collect their own feces in biodegradable bags. The saturation of the mountain, with groups in which hundreds of people gather, also generates debate for years.

Hundreds of permits. Reuters points out that each year some 300 permits to climb Everest, but the truth is that the total influx of mountaineers comfortably exceeds that figure. In 2019 it is estimated that they reached the summit 807 mountaineers and there are estimates that suggest that this spring season could be close to a similar number of summits, including those on both the Tibet and Nepal sides.

Proof that the limits and sustainability of the mountain generate debate in Nepal is that not even a year ago, in April 2024, its Supreme Court demanded that the Government set limits on the issuance of permits to ascend Everest. The BBC remembers However, the order did not detail a maximum number.

When money doesn’t matter. Nepalese fees are only a part (and not a very high one) of what it costs a mountaineer to climb Everest if all his expenses are taken into account. There are estimates that speak of $45,000others place the normal fork between 40,000 and 60,000they bring it closer to 70,000or even extend the total to the 200,000dollars.

The truth is that money is not a problem for everyone. Financial Times spoke recently of a special seven-day package to ascend Everest. Its cost: 150,000. Why so few days and such a large sum? Partly due to a special pre-acclimatization treatment.

Images | Mário Simoes (Flickr) and Munu Nepal (Flickr)

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