Nepal reissues climbing permits to foreigners

On Tuesday, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Ananda Prasad Pokharel said climbers would be able to climb on the same permit this year and in 2017 the government, to encourage them to return to the mountains. 

At least 19 climbers were killed when huge blocks of ice buried their tents at the base camp of the 8,850-metre (29,035 feet) Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain. More than 800 foreign climbers, each paying up to $11,000 for their permits, cancelled their expeditions after the April quake triggered landslides and massive avalanches across the Himalayas.  

“They had already paid the money as royalty to climb but could not complete their mission due to the earthquake,” Pokharel said. 

Hiking officials say foreign bookings have dropped sharply. Nepal’s infrastructure was badly hit in the quakes and a prolonged transport blockade along the border with India over a political dispute has further hit supplies of fuel and equipment. 

Tourism contributes around 4 per cent to Nepal’s GDP.  March to June and September to November are the preferred months for trekking.