Ministry of Tourism post monsoon statistics. The Ministry of Tourism reported that 76 expeditions comprising 490 members from 18 different countries were permitted to climb 36 peaks over 6,000m. The total amount raised in royalty fees was Rs 21,600,000, or a little over $300,000. The Government has now opened a total of 326 Expedition and Trekking peaks. Thirty three of these are designated Trekking Peaks and are administered by the Nepal Mountaineering Association. In the autumn the NMA issued permits to 2,292 members of 443 expeditions to climb on these lower altitude peaks.

Despite the Nepalese authorities’ efforts to entice climbers to go to far-flung regions, half of the autumn’s 123 expeditions went to just two mountains, only one of which was climbed inside Nepal. This one was Ama Dablam with 27 teams consisting of between one to 21 members each. Cho Oyu, which is on the border but, as is normal, was climbed from its Tibetan side only, had 36 teams, ranging in size from one to 24 members.

Elizabeth Hawley and Bikrum Pandey, Nepal