Climbing this beast just got a little more pricey. Photo: DJI//YouTube//Screenshot
Those planning to summit Mount Everest via Nepal will have to dig a bit deeper in their wallets. A report from the Kathmandu Post outlined a series of changes that will take effect for Everest climbers starting September 1, namely an increase in permit prices, a ban on climbing without guides on 8,000-meter peaks, and a reduction in the validity period of permits.
The first hike in permit prices since January 1, 2015, the new fee system will increase the cost of the high-season spring permits by USD $4,000 – from $11,000 to $15,000 per climber. Similarly, autumn permits will increase from $5,000 to $7,500 and the less-desired summer and winter permits will increase from $2,500 to $3,750. The permit for Nepali climbers will also double from $550 to $1,100.
Nepali officials say the new rules and additional funds aim to improve safety and address environmental issues on the 29,000-foot mountain, including the removal of trash and bodies. In 2024 alone, eight climbers lost their lives, and expeditions generated 100 tons of waste. However, cleanup efforts during the 2024 spring season recovered 85 tons of trash.
The rule changes follow reforms enacted in 2024 that included requirements on packing out trash and human feces, reduced use of helicopter transports for gear, limits to tent sizes at Everest base camp, and obligations by expeditions to retrieve deceased members of their groups.
However, given that Everest expeditions already cost $40,000 to $75,000 and beyond, some think that the impact of the price increase will be negligible as far as the overcrowding or demand to hike the mountain.
“Higher permit fees may impact price-sensitive climbers who choose low-cost guides,” climber and journalist Alan Arnette told Outside. “But likely won’t affect Western climbers who prefer guides costing $75,000 or more. Overall impact seems minimal.”
Climbing permits used to be valid for 75 days, but under the new rules, they will be valid for 55 days to presumably reduce crowding and overlapping expeditions.
The other significant rule change is the prohibition of unassisted climbing on Nepal’s eight 8,000-meter peaks. The new rules stipulate that there must be a guide for every two climbers, which will affect those who prefer to climb Everest and other gargantuan peaks on their own. The increased demand for guides will, in theory, aid the locals who work in the climbing industry, which accounts for four percent of the national economy.
China, which controls the routes on the north side of the mountain, already has parallel (and stricter) rules in place: There must be a 1:1 ratio of climbers and guides on peaks over 8,000 meters and supplemental oxygen is required over 7,000 meters. China even requires that climbers summit a 7,000-foot peak before taking on Everest. However, most summit attempts originate from Nepal, with 91 percent of the 861 total summits in 2024 occurring on the Nepalese side of the mountain.
The trash conundrum high on the slopes of Everest is a problem that only compounds as the mountain gains popularity. It’s estimated that 140,000 tons of trash and more than 200 bodies are currently on the mountain.
