14 individuals granted permission to climb Mt Dhaulagiri

KATHMANDU, Sept 24: A total of 14 climbers have received permission to ascend Mount Dhaulagiri in Myagdi this autumn.

Dhaulagiri, the seventh highest mountain in the world at 8,167 meters above sea level, is situated in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4, Myagdi.

According to the Department of Tourism, Rs 1.689 million in royalty has been received from those who have taken permission to climb Dhaulagiri. Last spring, 22 men and eight women from three groups took permission to climb Dhaulagiri. According to the department, a fee of Rs 7.17 million has been collected.

Hari Prasad Tilija, a ward member of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4, who is also a hotelier at the Italian base camp, said that the climbers, Sherpas, guides, porters and helpers who have received the climbing permit are preparing to come to the base camp.

According to the latest information from the department, 88 women and 274 men from 54 countries have taken permission to climb 10 mountains in Nepal this year. Likewise, Rs 45.2 million in climbing fees has been received from them.

According to the department, there is a provision that foreigners who want to climb an 8,000-meter high mountain besides Everest in the autumn must pay the salami fee of 900 US dollars per climber. For other small mountains, there is a minimum of 125 US dollars to a maximum of 400 US dollars in royalties to be paid.

According to the department, 308 people from 28 groups have taken permission to climb the 8,163-meter high Manaslu mountain in Gorkha in autumn. After Manaslu, Dhaulagiri is the mountain that has received many climbing permits.

Last spring, 1,020 people received permission to climb 30 mountains in Nepal. According to the data published in the department's website, they have paid Rs 689.9 million for climbing fees.