34 expedition teams heading to Everest

KATHMANDU, April 29: The government has permitted 95 expedition teams to attempt 26 mountain peaks above 6,000 meters across the country.

According to Mountaineering Section of the Department of Tourism, altogether 768 mountaineers have received climbing permit as of April 27. Of them, 326 climbers from 34 expeditions have received permits to climb Mt Everest this spring.

Similarly, 107 mountaineers from 10 expedition teams have received climbing permit to climb Mt Lhotse (8516 m), while 49 others from six teams have received permits to climb Mt Amadablam (6814 m). 

Officials of the department said that five mountains -- Annapurna (8091 m), Chhoba Bhamare (6109m), Mukot Himal (6087m), Peri Himal (6174m) and Himlung (7126m) -- have only one expedition each this season. These expedition teams have one climber each.

In the spring season last year, the department had issued climbing permits to a total of 834 mountaineers of 107 expedition teams in the spring season. Of them, 375 mountaineers from 42 groups had received permit to climb Mt Everest.

Around 5,000 climbers have reached the summit of Mt Everest so far. 

In spring 2016, the department had issued climbing permits to 731 members of 98 expedition teams, while in 2016 805 mountaineers of 103 expeditions had received climbing permits from the government.

The government levies climbing permit fee of US$ 11,000 for foreigners interested to climb Mt Everest. Such fee for Nepali climbers is Rs 75,000. The government mobilized revenue of Rs 389.5 million from permit fee in 2017 - a growth of 27.61 percent compared to revenue figures of 2016. 

Figures compiled by the department, however, excludes, royalty collected by Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) from 27 small peaks. 

The government has opened 414 peaks for mountaineering. Of them, 92 peaks are yet to be climbed. 

 
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