For the first time in a decade, the climbing permit fee for Mount Everest stands to increase. As of September, climbing enthusiasts will have to pay $15,000 instead of the current $11,000 to tame the world’s highest peak during peak season. At the same time, however, Nepal is waiving the climbing fees for 97 other mountains in lesser-known regions to boost tourism.
In Nepal, home to eight of the ten highest mountains in the world, climbing is big business. Over the course of 2024, the sale of climbing permits brought in $5.9 million, three-quarters of which were thanks to Mount Everest. However, most peaks require some kind of climbing permit.
The country has now decided to temporarily scraps those fees for 97 peaks. The mountains are situated in Nepal’s Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces and stand between 5,970 meters and 7,132 meters high. As the provinces are located in the far west of Nepal, they are less developed and poorer than most in the country.
“Despite their breathtaking beauty, the number of tourists and mountaineers here is very low as access is so difficult. We hope the new provision will help. They can create jobs, generate income, and strengthen the local economy,” said Himal Gautam, director of Nepal’s Tourism Department, according to The Kathmandu Post.
🇳🇵 NEPAL OFFERS “FREE” MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB FOR 2 YEARS
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 11, 2025
For the next 2 years, Nepal is waiving climbing fees on 97 massive peaks in its remote northwest, some topping 23,000 feet.
They want adventurers to ditch crowded Everest and explore untouched mountains while boosting cash… https://t.co/pC0qdzI2Ea pic.twitter.com/fVOfFXVxBG
Training grounds
Over the past two years, only 68 climbers have ventured towards some of the 97 mountains. While making the peaks free to climb might be able to boost tourism in some way, it is unclear whether or not the Nepalese government also plans on updating the local infrastructure. Moreover, due to their remote location, the peaks are difficult to reach and improving the connectivity to the areas would be crucial to boost their popularity.
As other Nepalese mountains have difficulty attracting climbers, Everest is dealing with quite the opposite problem. In 2024, 421 climbing permits were issued for the world’s highest peak, even after Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered the government in April 2024 to limit the number of permits issued for Everest and a handful of other peaks. As the mountain welcomes a growing number of climbers, overcrowding, fatal accidents, and environmental concerns have become increasingly problematic as well.
In an attempt to lower visitor numbers and to make sure climbers contribute enough to the local economy, a 36% markup in permit fees was introduced at the start of 2025. Peak season (April-May) climbers thus have to pay $15,000 instead of $11,000, while it now costs $7,500 to climb Everest from September to November, and $3,750 from December to February.
Another law is currently underway to limit the number of incidents on Mount Everest. If accepted, the law would require anyone who wants to climb Everest to have trained by summiting another mountain over 7,000 meters in the country. Some of the mountains in Karnali and Sudurpaschim would be ideal training grounds for enthusiastic climbers.
