Fifteen teams apply for autumn climbing permits so far

Nepal Now, latest news updates

August 26 / Kathmandu

The autumn climbing season in Nepal will see at least 15 mountaineering teams attempting to summit various peaks, including Everest, Annapurna I and Mount Makalu.

A team led by Japanese national Nobokazu Kuriki has been granted a permit to scale Everest, said the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in a press release. Additionally, 14 other teams will be attempting peaks like Makalu, Manaslu and Annapurna I, all three of which are above 8,000 metres (26,200 feet). While 10 teams have been granted their mountaineering permits, four are currently being processed.

Nepal’s mountaineering sector has been hit hard by a series of natural disasters, beginning with a massive avalanche in 2014 near Everest Base Camp that claimed the lives of 16 mountain guides. Later that same year, snowstorms in the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri region took 43 lives. The April earthquake earlier this year also had adverse effects on the Khumbu region.

However, the damage has now been rectified and most major routes have reopened. Government assessments and an independent report from Miyamoto International have all verified that major mountaineering routes pose no danger and can be reopened for business.

The 15 teams that have applied for permits so far this autumn season are a positive sign that mountaineering in Nepal is bouncing back.