Mountain climbing is a serious hobby (which can cost you some serious cash) but in an exciting announcement, the Nepalese government just shared that it plans to make 97 Himalayan mountains free to climb for the next two years. Now that’s a serious deal.
But, why is this happening? Well, despite Nepal having over 490 summits to hike (including eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks), most climbers flock to the same select few. Mountain-climbing is a huge industry in Nepal, and Everest brought in three quarters of the country’s $5.9m revenue last year, according to the BBC. However, from September, it’s thought the fees to climb it will soar up to $15,000.
So, the government is keen to give other mountains their time in the spotlight, and it hopes the strategy will spread that the income received from overcrowded peaks to lesser-known, hidden Himalayan gems like the regions Karnali and Sudurpaschim, where a good chunk of these 97 mountains stand. They’re also two of the least developed regions in the country.
Just last year, Mount Everest saw 421 climbers, whereas the 97 other mountains only saw 68 in total. It’s caused overcrowding and environmental concerns, forcing the government to implement a new rule that future Everest climbers must show proof that they’ve scaled at least one 7,000-meter-plus mountain in Nepal first.
By opening these new summits, climbers will not only get the experience needed, they’ll also pay a fraction of the cost while still financially assisting these hard-to-reach regions and communities.
‘The government of Nepal wants to disseminate to the global mountaineering community that so many alluring and worth-climbing mountains are located in those two provinces. And there are many more other touristic destinations (there),’ said Himal Gautam, a director in the Nepal Tourism Department, to CNN. ‘The government of Nepal has opened 462 mountains for commercial expedition. Out of them 102 mountains are still virgin, they are waiting for the first climbers.’
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