Sunday, June 23, 2013

Mountaineering in Nepal

Nepal is a country well known for its Himalaya Mountains. Among the 10 highest peaks in the world, eight , including the highest peak Mount Everest, crown this country. Nothing on earth can beat the exhilaration of scaling them. No wonder Nepal is the favorite destination for mountaineers and every year more than 1000 expeditions trudge up the Himalaya.
Mount Everest
View of Mount Everest

                                             
                                                 Seasons for Mountaineering:

There are four seasons for mountaineering in Nepal: spring (March to May), summer(June-August), autumn (September-November) and winter(December-February). A total of 153 Himalayan peaks are open to mountaineers.  Climbing permits are issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) for 135 peaks known for mountaineering peaks, and by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA)  for 18 smaller peaks known as trekking peaks, which range from 5,587 to 6,654 meters in altitude.


                                                   
climb nepal himalayas
              

                                                                         Permission:

The following documents have to be sent to MoTCA, Mountaineering Division when applying for a climbing permit: completed application, endorsement of the National Alpine Club, Short biographies of all the members of the expedition (with photograph and signature), map and/or photograph of the mountain indicating climbing route and approach route map. Enlistment of the expedition's name does not require any fee and it should not be paid before receiving the permit from the Ministry of Tourism.
        Permits to climb 18 trekking peaks are issued by NMA on "first come first served" basis. It is necessary to to appoint a government recognized trekking agency of Nepal as a local liaison for the expedition in Kathmandu. The trekking agency will look after all the requirements during the expedition.

                                                                     Payment of fee:

A royalty (climbing fee) ranging from US$ 1500 to US$ 10,000 (according to the altitude of the peak) and US$ 70,000 For Everest is charged by MoTCA for a group of seven persons. An additional US$ 200 to US$ 1,500 per person (US$ 10,000 per person for Everest) will be charged if the group exceeds seven persons.
          The full amount of royalty has to be paid within two months of the date of issue of the permit, otherwise it may be cancelled. The royalty must be paid directly to MoTCA either by bank draft or bank transfer payable in convertible foreign currency only.
           For trekking peaks, a royalty of US$ 300 or US$ 150 is charged by the NMA. The permit is valid for the period of one month for a group up to 10 persons. An addition of US$ 7.50 per person is charged if the group exceeds 10 persons. (This costs does not include personal fees like air fare, hotels,tents,cooks,fuels,oxygen bottles and other miscellaneous costs)

                                                                     Restrictions:
Food and equipment imported for expeditions require an import licence and should be custom cleared. walkie-talkies, transceiver sets and other communication equipment are controlled items in Nepal and have to be declared at the customs office at the entry point.


For further information, contact Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. For trekking peaks contact Nepal Trekking Association (NMA).
To know about the total costs for climbing Mount Everest visit here.

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