Nepal earned US $3.91 million in tourist revenue from mountaineering permits in 2013, according to figures recently released by the Nepali government. This is down from $4.22 million in 2012. In total 298 expedition teams applied for permits in 2013, against 310 who applied in 2012.
The Nepalese government is keen to attract more mountaineers to the country, and has made several announcements through the media in the last year in a well-meaning if ineffective attempt to generate more interest in its lesser-known mountains. These have included opening new peaks for mountaineering, renaming peaks after famous mountaineers, setting up a police force at Everest Base Camp, and reclassifying subsidiary summits as 8000m peaks. Listed below are a few peak climbing adventure that you must want to add into your Nepal holidays packages.
Everest:
It is no wonder the globe’s highest mountain is Nepal’s biggest revenue generator, but it may be a wonder quite how much Everest earns compared to other mountains. An unbelievable 70 percent of Nepal’s earning from trekking permits comes from Everest alone. On average trekkers pay 5 times as much for an Everest trekking permit as they do for other 8000 meters peaks, and about twenty times as much as they do for 6000 to 7000 meters peak.
Lhotse:
For those people who cannot afford the permit price for Everest, its sister summit has turned out to be a renowned alternative. The name Lhotse interprets as South Peak in Tibetan, and it allocates the 7950 meters South Col with Everest, rising only 300 meters lower on the opposite part. It also allocates the same trail for most of the way to the peak, via the Khumbu Icefall & the Western Cwm, and up the Lhotse Face beyond Camp 3.
Pisang:
Rising above the village of Pisang, this peak lies on the northern fringes of the Manang valley on the eastern part of the Annapurna range. The ascent to the mountain can be included with the famed Annapurna circuit trek. Along the route lies the famous Thorong La Pass, one of the highest passes in the world at 5416m. The trek rises steadily along a relatively well-defined ridge to the summit pyramid. The climb is somewhat technical in nature and some previous mountaineering experience is recommended.
