Kathmandu: Nepal will now allow climbers to scale 97 mountains for free over the next two years in an effort to promote tourism in remote regions, the government announced.
The Tourism Department said the fee waiver applies to peaks between 5,970 metres and 7,132 metres in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, two of the country’s poorest and least developed areas. Officials hope the move will draw attention to “unexplored tourism products and destinations” and create jobs for local communities.
The announcement comes as the government plans to raise Mount Everest permit fees from September. Climbers will pay $15,000 during the April–May peak season, up from the current rate — the first increase in nearly a decade. Off-season fees will also rise to $7,500 in autumn and $3,750 in winter.
Mountaineering is a major source of revenue for Nepal, home to the world’s 10 tallest mountains. Last year, climbing fees generated $5.9 million, with Everest contributing more than three-quarters of that amount. In the past two years, only 68 climbers attempted the 97 remote peaks, compared to 421 Everest permits issued in 2024 alone.
Everest has faced overcrowding, environmental damage, and deadly accidents in recent years. In April, the Supreme Court ordered the government to limit permits for major peaks. Parliament is also debating a law that would require climbers to first summit a mountain above 7,000 metres in Nepal before attempting Everest.