| 5th,May,2002 No.1: Everest climbing fees slashed Climbers can now scale the 8848meters high Mount Everest from the normal route by paying only $25,000 whereas they had to dish out$70,000 previously. |
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| 3rd.May,2002 No.2:RESTRICTED AREA OPEN FOR TREKKING |
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| THE LIASION HAS BEEN CANCELLED EXCEPT MUSTANG, HUMLA AND DARCHULA AREAS. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Drastic slash in mountaineering fee KATHMANDU, May 7 : In a bid to revive the countryfs declining tourism sector, the government today announced heavy cut down on royalty to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. According to the new provisions, a climber can now scale the 8,848 metres high Mount Everest, from the normal route, by paying a royalty of US $25,000, which is far less than previous rate of $ 70,000, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation said in a statement Tuesday. Today onwards, the Ministry will charge a solo expedition $ 25,000 to climb Everest while a two-member team can climb the peak by doling out $ 40,000. Likewise, a three-member team will get a permit on the south east ridge for $ 48,000; a four-member team for $56,000; a team of five climbers for $60,000; while a six-member team will be charged $66,000, the announcement said. Similarly, a seven-member expedition will have to pay $ 70,000 on the normal route; and each additional member of a 12-member team will be charged $10,000. Rates on the other routes remain unchanged at $ 70,000. Other routes to climb the highest mountain are on the south pillar, the southwest face and the west ridge. Prior to this, any expeditions, whether one-member or 12-member, had to dole out a lump sum of $ 70,000, making it difficult for small number of climbers to pay the royalty, according to Shankar Koirala, joint secretary at the Ministry. "This obviously would have positive impact on Nepal's mountaineering sector," Koirala told The Kathmandu Post. About 10 to 15 expeditions are granted permits to climb the Everest every year, according to him. "But, this would pave the way for even a lone climber to fulfill his/her dream of getting atop the worldfs tallest peak," he added. The Ministry came out with this new policy after almost 23 years, as Nepal now has to compete with neighbouring countries like the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China, according to Koirala. "Nepal was the only destination for foreign climbers about 40 years ago, but now we have to compete with China, India and Pakistan," he said. "The new rules have been simplified and made cheaper to make the peaks on our side of the Himalayas more attractive," he added. As per the new rules, Nepali peaks are now open for climbers throughout the year after the government scrapped the policy of granting permits in different seasons like spring, summer, autumn and winter. And the recommendations of national alpine clubs will not be required from now on to acquire climbing permits. The new provisions would now look after the Nepali Sherpas better, as it has hiked the insurance fees, daily wages of liaison officers, sirdars, guides and base camp staffers. Now onwards, a local high-altitude porter who used to get Rs. 27 per day, will get Rs. 250 and a Sherpa sirdar who used to get Rs. 45 per day will get Rs. 400, said Koirala. Officials at the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) have welcomed the announcement. "Although the current situation is not so good, it (the announcement) will definitely attract more aspiring Everest climbers to Nepal," Bhumi Lama, General Secretary of the NMA told The Kathmandu Post. Lama hopes that the move will go a long way in attracting dozens of aspiring Everest climbers back to the Nepali side of the highest mountain. "There had been widespread complaints about the royalty rate charged by our government to climb Everest," he said. "But, now that the rate has been heavily cut down, more climbers could come to the Nepali side in future." |