KATHMANDU: More than Rs 770 million in royalties have been collected from climbers during this year’s spring mountaineering season, according to the Mountaineering Section of the Department of Tourism.
As of Sunday, the department has collected a total of Rs 773,587,915 in royalties, with Mount Everest alone contributing Rs 676,009,028.
A total of 1,127 climbers—240 women and 887 men—from 119 expedition teams have received climbing permits for 26 peaks, including the world’s highest, Mount Everest.
Department Director Leeladhar Awasthi stated that Everest attracted the highest number of climbers, with 456 mountaineers—372 men and 84 women—from 45 groups receiving permits.
In total, climbers from 57 countries are attempting Everest this season. Other popular peaks include Ama Dablam with 102 climbers from 10 groups, Lhotse with 107 from 9 groups, Makalu with 79 from 8 groups, Kanchenjunga with 75 from 7 groups, Nutse with 76 from 6 groups, and Annapurna with 66 climbers from 6 groups.
Spring is regarded as the optimal time for high-altitude expeditions in Nepal, particularly for summiting Mount Everest. The Department of Tourism noted that the number of climbers could rise further as permit issuance is still underway.
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