DoT issues first mountaineering permit this year for autumn climbing activities

Published On: September 5, 2020 11:15 AM NPT By: Muna Sunuwar | @TheMunaSun

File Photo/ Republica

KATHMANDU, Sept 5: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued the first mountaineering permit to a team of six people for autumn season.

According to Mira Acharya, Director at DoT, climbing permits to a team of six persons were issued on Friday. The team has applied for the permit to scale Mt Baruntse (7,129 m). The department has collected Rs 18,000 from the climbers as royalty.

The mountaineering activities resumed in July after a hiatus of nearly five months due to COVID-19. The government has opened mountain peaks across the country for climbers. The spring season climbing was put into halt after the risk of COVID-19 spread intensified in Nepal. The government suspended all climbing permits for the spring season this year as a precautionary measure for the safety of climbers.

Meanwhile, the government has allowed 18 others to come to Nepal for mountaineering. The team consists of prince of Bahrain and 14 climbers from Bahrain along with three others from the United Kingdom. The team will travel to Nepal in a charter flight after September 15 and will attempt to scale Mt Manaslu and Mt Lobuche.

Although their entrance into the country has been allowed by the government, they are yet to get permits from the tourism department. The government has said that the team is required to abide by the safety guidelines prepared by the Ministry of Health and Population upon their arrival in Nepal and throughout their journey within the country.

Foreign climbers need to pay US dollar 125 per person as royalty to the government for expeditions to mountains up to 6,500 meters during the autumn season whereas the cost is $900 per person for mountains higher than 8,000 meters. Likewise, Nepalis need to pay Rs 2,000 per person to climb mountains up to 6,500 meters and Rs 5,000 for peaks above 8,000 meters, except Everest, in the autumn season.

The permit fee is $5,500 for the normal route of Everest and $5,000 for other routes of Everest for foreigners. A total of 414 peaks have been opened for mountaineering in Nepal. According to the department, 75 of them remain unclimbed.