Everest permit-dodger released on $10 bail

KATHMANDU: A South African who was detained in Nepal for trying to climb Mount Everest without a permit was released on bail on Monday after paying a $10 bond.

Ryan Sean Davy, 43, spent six days in police custody after being caught hiding in a cave near Everest base camp without the permit costing $11,000 needed to climb the world’s tallest mountain.

He was arrested during questioning under Nepal’s strict public order laws for swearing at tourism officials -- allegations he denies. "I paid them 1,000 rupees. That’s what I had in my pocket," Davy told AFP at the Kathmandu district office, where he was brought for the bail hearing.

The South African, who has no prior mountaineering experience, said he could not afford the hefty permit fee but wanted to scale Everest and document his experience in a book and film. He still faces charges related to his summit attempt, which carries a maximum $22,000 fine -- double the cost of the permit he was trying to avoid. "The decision against him is in process but once the government decides the fine amount, he can pay and collect his passport," Dinesh Bhattarai, head of the tourism department said.