Spring Season Sees Record 1,072 Climbers Obtain Permits for Himalayan Expeditions

Kathmandu. The spring season is the mountain climbing season, a time for domestic and foreign climbers to ascend the Himalayas. While some new climbers are preparing for expeditions, others are eager to break their own past records or those of other climbers and set new records.

Nepal Tourism Board permits climbing of mountains above 6,500 meters, while the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) permits climbing of 27 mountains between 5,800 and 6,500 meters.

This time, 85 people are climbing Sagarmatha through Seven Summit Treks alone. Out of 464 people who obtained permits for Sagarmatha climbing, 85 are from Seven Summit, said its operator Mingma Sherpa. Seven Summit has been facilitating Sagarmatha climbing for climbers from various countries for a long time. Besides this, Elite Expeditions, Tag Nepal, Imaging Nepal Expeditions, Himalayan Guide Expeditions, 8K Expeditions, among others, are facilitating Sagarmatha climbing for foreign climbers.

Nepal, a country rich in natural resources, is home to the world's highest peak, Sagarmatha. Out of the 14 highest mountains in the world above 8,000 meters, eight are located in Nepal alone. Thousands of climbers visit Nepal, the land of mountains, every year just to climb the mountains. A total of 1,072 climbers have obtained permits for mountain climbing this spring season.

According to the Department of Tourism, 1,072 climbers from 79 countries obtained permits for various mountain expeditions during the spring season from March 1, 2026, until today. Among those who obtained permits, 811 are male and 261 are female.

The department stated that the number of climbers obtaining mountain climbing permits may still increase. Last year, 1,140 climbers obtained permits for mountain climbing during the spring season. Nepal collected revenue of NPR 79.47 crore from issuing these climbing permits. Similarly, in 2024, 991 people obtained mountain climbing permits.

Rajendra Lama, General Secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), says that the attraction of foreign climbers to Nepal's mountains has increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. He also mentioned that foreign climbers are showing great enthusiasm for climbing the 27 mountains between 5,800 and 6,500 meters for which the NMA grants permits.

According to General Secretary Lama, the association has issued 2,204 permits from July 2024 to July 2025, from which the NMA has collected revenue of approximately NPR 16 crore. Similarly, from July 2025 to the present, 2,025 permits have been issued. For issuing these permits, the NMA has collected revenue of over NPR 20 crore.

This year, the highest number of permits for the spring season has been issued for the world's highest peak, Sagarmatha. A total of 464 climbers from 55 countries have obtained permits for Sagarmatha climbing so far, informed Nisha Thapa Raut, Director at the Department of Tourism. Among those who obtained permits for Sagarmatha climbing, 364 are male and 100 are female.

Chinese climbers are the most numerous among those who obtained permits for various mountain expeditions. Director Raut stated that 139 climbers from China alone have obtained climbing permits. Besides this, 132 from America, five from India, 72 from the UK, 69 from Germany, six from Russia, 39 from Canada, 35 from Japan, 26 from France, 24 from Australia, and 23 from Ukraine have obtained permits. Similarly, 31 from Poland, 17 from Nepal, 13 from Argentina, 14 from Ireland, 17 from the Czech Republic, 10 from Ecuador, and nine from Brazil have obtained climbing permits, the department said.

The government has granted permission for climbing various 29 mountains and peaks, including the world's highest peak Sagarmatha. According to Director Raut of the department, 464 permits have been issued for Sagarmatha, 111 for Lhotse, 104 for Ama Dablam, 13 for Annapurna IV, 30 for Dhaulagiri, 18 for Saribung, 27 for Annapurna I, 14 for Thorong Peak, 72 for Makalu, 52 for Nuptse, 46 for Himlung Himal, 36 for Kanchenjunga, and 12 for Barun.

Despite the impact of the ongoing conflict in West Asia on Nepal's tourism sector, there has been an encouraging participation in mountain climbing. The department has collected revenue of NPR 1,17,55,09,259 from the climbers who obtained permits for mountain climbing this year. The department has collected the highest revenue from Sagarmatha, amounting to NPR 1,01,28,23,925.

Similarly, revenue collected includes NPR 4,97,71,650 from Lhotse, NPR 3,17,85,800 from Makalu, NPR 1,55,45,550 from Ama Dablam, NPR 1,34,54,550 from Dhaulagiri-I, NPR 1,20,49,175 from Annapurna-I, and NPR 1,60,81,650 from Kanchenjunga.

Climbers are beginning their journeys towards their destinations for various mountain expeditions. Some climbers have already reached Sagarmatha Base Camp. The work of fixing ropes for Sagarmatha climbing is currently underway. To facilitate Sagarmatha climbing, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee is currently engaged in fixing ropes from Base Camp through the Icefall to Camp II. Chhiring Sherpa, Chief Executive Officer of the committee, stated that the work of establishing the route from Sagarmatha Base Camp through the Icefall to Camp II has been completed.

Similarly, the Mountain Operations Association Nepal is responsible for fixing ropes from Camp II to the summit of Sagarmatha. Dambar Parajuli, President of the association, said that the work of fixing ropes up to Camp III has been completed.