Each year, thousands of people from around the world flock to Mount Everest for a chance to reach its distant summit. Now, Nepalese tourism officials are trying to encourage climbers to try one of the country’s many other peaks, instead.
For the next 2 years, nearly 100 mountains in the Nepalese Himalayas will be free to climb — no government fee required. This change to the country’s tourism policy, first reported by The Kathmandu Post last week, comes at the same time as several significant changes to regulations of Nepal’s most sought-after peaks.
First off, the government fee for climbing the world’s highest mountain will rise from $11,000 to $15,000 on September 1. Everest isn’t the only mountain seeing higher fees, either. Many other peaks will also see adjusted prices that vary by height, location, and season.
Secondly, Nepal also now requires Everest hopefuls to summit another major peak (of at least 7,000 m in height) before attempting the highest mountain in the world.
By waiving fees for 97 peaks located in remote, rugged areas, Nepali officials hope to drive more tourism to the country’s lesser-visited locales. But reaching these peaks may not be easy.
Peaks Are Free to Climb, But Remote
When asked about Nepal’s new policy forcing climbers to ascend a slightly shorter mountain before tackling Everest, mountain guide Adrian Ballinger called it “a fantastic step.” However, Ballinger also added that he wished the trial peak didn’t have to be located in Nepal.
Regardless, Nepali officials clearly hope that the changed Everest rules, tied with the financial incentive to climb smaller peaks, will be enough to drive more tourism to other areas of the country.
The free mountains range from 19,258 feet (5,870 m) to 23,398 feet (7,132 m). That’s high enough to pose a serious challenge for even elite alpinists. But climbers will have their work cut out just to reach the regions of Karnali and Sudurpaschim, where the free peaks are located. These provinces are far from the normal tourism corridors, with few roads and fewer services.
“The idea is to encourage climbers to go to unexplored yet scenic areas and mountain peaks,” Tourism Department official Himal Gautam told Reuters.
Just making the peaks free to climb may not be enough to motivate climbers to overcome the many other barriers to reaching them. Nepal Tourism Board member Rajendra Lama told The Kathmandu Post that the government must take additional steps than just policy changes. In the last 2 years, only 21 teams have traveled to any of the 97 peaks, bringing in the equivalent of just $10,000 to the country’s coffers.
“We need coordinated efforts between the public, private, and community sectors, along with aggressive publicity,” Lama said. “Only then will Karnali and Sudurpaschim find their place on the mountaineering map.”
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