Witness Mount Everest’s Soaring Danger Level and Escalating Costs Amid Rising Fatality Rate

Nepal Raises Everest Climbing Permit Fees Due to Increasing Number of Deaths

In a surprising move, Nepal has announced a significant price hike for Everest climbing permits. Starting in 2025, foreigners will have to pay $15,000, a staggering 36% increase from the current $11,000 fee. This decision comes as a response to the rising number of dead bodies on the mountain, which has made the costly task of recovering corpses a burden. The expenses for such operations can range from $20,000 to $200,000 depending on the circumstances. While some climbers have insurance to cover these costs, it is possible that insurance may become mandatory in the future.

The Kathmandu Post reports that going forward, it will be mandatory to bring down the bodies of deceased climbers from the mountain. Currently, there are over 200 bodies remaining on Everest, out of the more than 300 deaths that have occurred there. According to tourism officials, this permit fee increase aims to “streamline the industry” and manage the growing crowd on the mountain. The number of permits issued for the 2023 spring season reached a record-breaking 478, surpassing the previous high of 409 in 2021. Unfortunately, there were also 17 fatalities on the Nepal side.

Nepal has faced criticism for granting climbing permits to individuals without considering their prior experience. Reuters reported in April that the government was considering a requirement for climbers to first scale a 6,000-meter (about 20,000-foot) peak in Nepal before attempting Everest. Additionally, there are additional costs associated with obtaining the permit, such as hiring a local company, which can amount to thousands of dollars. Hiring an operator to climb with can cost tens of thousands more.