KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 11

The Department of Tourism (DoT) has collected over Rs 65 million from issuing 785 climbing permits this autumn climbing season as of Sunday.

Of the total royalties collected this autumn season, Rs 46.29 million was collected from issuing permits to climb Mt Manaslu.

A total of 95 teams comprising 597 male and 185 female climbers from 67 countries, including Nepal, have been granted permits to scale 31 mountains across the country.

According to the DoT, a total of 404 permits have been issued to scale Mt Manaslu (8,163 metres), 56 for Mt Amadablam (6,814 metres), 34 permits for Mt Dhaulagiri (8,167 metres), 131 permits for Mt Himlung (7,126 metres) and five for Mt Sagarmatha (8,848.86 metres).

Likewise, a number of permits were issued for other mountains and peaks, including Mt Annapurna I (8,091 metres), Mt Annapurna IV (7,525 metres), Mt Baruntse (7,129 metres), Mt Bhrikuti Shail (6,364 metres), Mt Dhaulagiri II (7,751 metres), Mt Ganchenpo (6,378 metres), Mt Gyaji Khang (7,038 metres), Mt Mukot (6,087 metres), Mt Nuptse (7,855 metres), Mt Pumori (7,161 metres), Mt Pokhar Khang (6,348 metres), Mt Putha Hiunchuli (7,246 metres), Mt Saribung (6,234 metres), Mt Thapa Peak (6,012 metres) and Mt Thamserku (6,623 metres), among others.

Yuvraj Khatiwada, director of mountaineering branch at the DoT, said that the number of mountaineers coming to the country has still not reached its pre-pandemic levels.

'The mountaineering sector seems to have improved by 70 per cent compared to last year. After two years of restricted travels due to COVID-19, many mountaineers are choosing Nepal for climbing purposes. The closed border of China and the promotion of expedition teams at an international level can be attributed to the increasing number of climbers visiting the country,' he said.

According to DoT, the highest numbers of climbers this climbing season are from the United States of America. As many as 69 climbers have arrived from the US so far. Similarly, 62 climbers are from France, 55 from the United Kingdom, 53 from Germany, 49 from Spain, and 34 from India, among other countries. Nepal has attracted climbers from 66 different countries to scale its peaks and mountains for this climbing season. Meanwhile, a total of 11 Nepali climbers have also acquired permits for mountaineering purposes this year.

A version of this article appears in the print on October 12, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.