Spring is the season to be merry mountaineering

SANGAM PRASAIN

KATHMANDU, MAR 25 -
The spring mountaineering season (March-May) sees the largest number of mountaineers heading for the Himalaya. During this season, the government collects more than Rs 200 million as mountaineering royalty from expeditions making a bid on Everest alone.

As of the present, 10 expeditions have applied to climb the world’s highest peak, a government official said. The 10 teams contain a total of 109 members.

According to the Tourism Industry Division at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation that issues expedition permits, the government has so far collected Rs 193 million in royalties from Everest expeditions. The royalty for Everest ranges from US$ 25,000 to US$ 70,000 per expedition depending on the number of members (maximum 15) and the route.

Last year, the government collected Rs. 220 million in mountaineering royalties during the spring season. This climbing season that ended on May 25 saw 347 climbers making it to the top of the world’s highest peak. Among the summiteers, 157 were foreigners and 190 Nepalis.

Government officials are hopeful that the number of prospective climbers will increase this year as the royalty for Dhaulagiri has been halved. Also, as part of a scheme to boost tourism and Nepal Tourism Year, the government has announced that Everest summitters will get free Nepali visas for two years.

According to official statistics, 3,128 climbers have scaled Everest since it was first climbed by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Sherpa in 1953.

The government has opened 326 peaks in the Nepal Himalaya for mountaineering. According to the Tourism Industry Division, it has received the highest number of applications to climb Everest from the US followed by the UK, Japan and Australia.

“We expect to receive more applications as the spring season lasts till May end,” said Indra Kumar Maharjan, an official at the Tourism Ministry. The government provides a 50 percent discount on the mountaineering royalty in the winter and summer seasons and a 75 percent discount in the autumn season.

The royalty for the spring season is higher. No climbing royalty is charged for mountains in the Mid-Western and Far Western development regions.