• Nepal raises the climbing permit fee for Mount Everest by 36%, totaling $15,000.
• The new rates will come into effect in September 2025, affecting the peak climbing season.
• Mountaineering experts express concern over potential overcrowding and environmental issues.

KATHMANDU, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Nepal has announced a significant increase in permit fees for climbing Mount Everest, raising costs by more than 35% for the first time in nearly a decade. Starting this September, mountaineers will be required to pay $15,000 for a permit, up from the previous $11,000, as stated by Narayan Prasad Regmi, director general of the Department of Tourism. This fee adjustment aims to generate much-needed revenue for the cash-strapped nation, which earns substantial income from the mountaineering sector, vital for its economy.

The updated fees will also affect climbs during the less popular September-November and December-February seasons, which will now cost $7,500 and $3,750, respectively. Regmi highlighted that the existing fees had remained unchanged for too long and needed a reassessment. However, he did not elaborate on how the additional funds would be utilized.

Despite the heightened costs, expedition organizers, such as Lukas Furtenbach of Furtenbach Adventures, believe the increase is unlikely to deter climbers. "We expected this hike in permit fees," Furtenbach remarked, calling it an understandable decision by the Nepalese government. He expressed optimism that the funds would be directed towards improving safety and environmental protection on Everest, an area often criticized for its overcrowding and sanitation issues. Nepal issues about 300 permits annually for Everest climbs, raising concerns about the sustainability of these numbers.

Additionally, Nepal's Supreme Court recently mandated that the government must consider limiting the number of permits granted to prevent overcrowding, although no specific cap has been placed yet. Climbing seasoners have raised alarms about climbers facing dangerous conditions while queuing to summit Everest. The Nepalese army has initiated annual clean-up drives to address the issue of litter on the mountain, often referred to as the world's highest garbage dump, recovering over 119 tonnes of waste and multiple human remains since the program began.

Source: Reuters, Source: The Guardian, and Source: BBC.