337 climbers attempting Everest this spring
Kathmandu: The number of climbers participating in Everest expeditions has increased by around 28 per cent this spring as compared to the same season last year.
Kathmandu : A total of 337 climbers from various countries have got permission to attempt the world’s tallest mountain this spring, while the number stood at around 263 in the same season of 2011, according to the Tourism Industry Division under the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.The number of expeditions has also grown to 32 this spring as against 26 in spring last year.
The government has collected Rs. 293.15 million as a royalty from the total expeditions. A total of 77 expeditions have taken permission so far to climb different mountains this spring.
The royalty collection during the last spring was Rs. 198.85 million. There were altogether 92 expeditions in spring 2011.
Among the mountains higher than 8,000 meters, the number of expeditions is maximum for Mount Everest (32) followed by Lhotse (9), Dhaulagiri (5), Manaslu (4), and Annapurna (3), Kanchenjunga (2) and Makalu (1) during this spring.
Spring season is regarded as the most favorable time for the expeditions followed by autumn, while winter and summer are off seasons for expedition.To encourage expeditions during all seasons, the government is offering different royalties during spring, autumn, and winter and summer seasons.
The royalty rate for spring is the highest and mountaineers need to pay only half that in autumn season and one-fourth in winter and summer seasons.
Around 3,000 people have climbed the world’s tallest peak since it was first conquered by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
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