KATHMANDU: Nepal has issued a record number of permits for the ascent of Mount Everest this spring, officials said on Friday, raising fears of heavy traffic on the world’s highest mountain, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
As of May 8, Nepal has issued 492 permits for Everest alone, bringing in more than US$7.1 million in revenue, according to Department of Tourism (DoT) data. The previous record had been set in 2023, when 478 permits to summit Everest were issued. Last year, Nepalese authorities issued 468 permits.
Overall, 1,134 mountaineering permits were issued for 30 peaks for the coming season, bringing in record revenue of over US$8.3 million.
“Despite the Gen Z protests and the Israel-Iran war, a record number of climbers have taken permits this season. This is truly historic,” DoT spokesperson Himal Gautam told dpa.
In September, the Himalayan country was rocked by serious unrest after a ban on social media platforms drove tens of thousands of mostly young protesters onto the streets, denouncing widespread corruption and nepotism. At least 76 people were killed in the so-called Gen Z protests.
According to reports in Nepali media, a reason for the record number of permits issued is that China has closed the ascent to Everest from the Tibetan side of the mountain. Official figures in Nepal show that the largest number of applications this year are from China, followed by the US and India.
The increase in climbers is expected to boost Nepal’s economy, but some fear traffic jams on Everest due to delayed summit preparations.
In the past, congestion at the summit has left climbers stranded for hours in the so-called death zone with low oxygen concentration, contributing to deaths that some climbers and experts say were avoidable.
Compared to previous years, this spring the first summit has been delayed nearly two weeks due to unstable ice conditions, bad weather, logistical hurdles and a dispute over the use of drones.
Gautam, however, said that the season was going as scheduled.
The Everest climbing season typically sees summit attempts concentrated within a few days or weeks in May when weather conditions are most stable. After May, warming temperatures accelerate melting of the Khumbu Glacier, forcing expeditions to wrap up. – BERNAMA-dpa
