Nepal Opens 97 Himalayan Peaks for Free Climbing: Karnali & Sudurpaschim Royalties Waived to 2027

For decades, Nepal's mountaineering economy has been a one-mountain show. In 2026 the government is trying to rewrite that script — and it has put real money on the table to do it. Under a Cabinet decision taken on 17 July 2025, Nepal waived every climbing…

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Why Nepal is giving its mountains away

The logic is in the numbers. Nepal collected roughly USD 5.92 million in climbing-permit revenue in 2024 — and about 77 percent of it came from Mount Everest alone. The country has hundreds of peaks open to climbers, yet the overwhelming majority of…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

What climbing in Nepal usually costs

The savings are real, if modest on the smaller summits. A standard royalty on a minor Himalayan peak runs around USD 250–350; an Everest permit, after this year's hike, costs between USD 11,000 and 15,000. The far-west peaks have generated so little — about…

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The bigger play: training grounds for Everest

There is a second motive. Nepal is moving to require that anyone applying for an Everest permit first summit a 7,000-metre peak inside Nepal — a rule aimed at thinning out the inexperienced crowds that clog the upper mountain. Suddenly, three free 7,000ers in…

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How to actually get there

The far west is remote even by Nepali standards: expect long drives from Dhangadhi or Nepalgunj and multi-day approaches. The most accessible way to taste the region before committing to a climb is a trek into the same valleys — our Api Base Camp Trek walks…

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