Nepal hikes Everest climbing fee by a third

KATHMANDU: Nepal has hiked the cost of an Everest climbing permit by a third, arguing it will help tackle pollution and boost safety on the world´s highest mountain, the tourism chief said on Tuesday.

Fees for the peak spring climbing season will rise from $11,000 to $15,000 for a permit to scale the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak, Narayan Prasad Regmi, director general of the tourism department, told AFP.

“The cost had remained constant for a decade and it was high time to revise that,” he said.

Costs of climbing at less popular -- and more demanding -- times of year such as during winter or the monsoon rains have also risen at similar rates, including from $5,500 to $7,500 during the autumn season.