Nepal Himalaya, expedition endorsements cut, Mt. Everest fees lowered, garbage deposits changed. For several years the American Alpine Club lobbied to remove the endorsement letter required for expeditions wanting to climb in Nepal. This included high-level meetings in Kathmandu with the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and the Minister of Mountaineering and Sport.

The AAC received confirmation that on May 2,2002, His Majesty’s Government of Nepal enacted new “Mountaineering expedition regulation, 2059” (2002), which gets rid of the endorsement letters for expeditions. The decision to cancel the requirement was first delayed due to the murder of the King and then by the Maoist insurgency. This makes it much easier for expeditions. The endorsement process was just another onerous bureaucratic detail that an expedition had to worry about. Nepal was the last country that required letters of recommendation from an authorized national body.

The Ministry of Tourism came up with these amended mountaineering rules and regulations:

1. Recommendation letters from the climbers' native alpine club are no longer required.

2. The number of climbers who can climb Everest and their new according peak fees are:

One person: $25,000

Two people: $40,000

Three people: $48,000

Four people: $56,000

Five people: $60,000

Six people: $66,000

Seven people: $70,000

Peak fees, other than Everest, for a team of up to 7 members:

Above 8000m: $10,000

Peaks 7,501-8,000m: $4,000

Peaks 7001-75000m: $3,000

Peaks 6501-7000m: $2,000

Peaks less than 6501m: $1,000

3. Garbage deposit (refundable) for Everest and Annapurna region:

Mt. Everest: $4,000

All peaks above 8001m: $3,000

All peaks 7001m to 8000m and Mt. Ama Dablam: $2,000

Peaks 6501m to 7000m: $1,000

All peaks below 6500m: $500

For other regions:

All peaks above 8000m: $3,000

All peaks below 8000m: $500

Charley Mace, AAC Expeditions Committee