2023-04-26 20:22:27
AEven 70 years after the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest (8848 meters), was climbed for the first time, it is still a dream destination for many. At least that is what the number published by the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism suggests. According to this, the authority has already issued 454 permits for climbing Everest for this spring season – more than ever before in a single season. The previous record from 2021 was a good 400 permits.
The reasons for the unprecedented rush are, on the one hand, the many catching-up athletes whose dreams of promotion have been dashed by Corona requirements in recent years. On the other hand, this spring an exceptionally large number of Chinese mountaineers want to climb from the Nepalese south side to the summit, since the ascent from the north, from Tibet, is much more strictly regulated by the Chinese authorities. In Nepal, the aspirants do not need to have climbed another eight-thousander before attempting Mount Everest. 96 of the 454 Nepalese Everest permits alone go to summit contenders from China. They are the most represented, ahead of climbers from the United States (87).
Cost well over $11,000
What all Everest candidates have in common is that they not only take on enormous effort, dangers and risks for their attempt, but also pay a high financial price. The permit alone costs 11,000 dollars (about 10,000 euros), plus the expenses for the expedition operator, who provides equipment, mountain guides, porters, helpers, bottled oxygen, transport and much more – the limits are now almost unlimited.
The same applies to the prices of the expeditions, some of which have reached the six-digit range. The income from issuing the permits goes directly to the Nepalese government, which booked more than five million dollars this spring from the Everest permits alone.
In total, the government in Kathmandu issued climbing permits for 23 peaks in Nepal this season. Mount Everest was by far the most coveted, followed by neighboring Lhotse (8,516 meters) with 95 permits, Ama Dablam (6,814 meters) with 74 and Nuptse (7,855 meters) with 63. The permits went to 779 men and 230 women .
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