Nepal places high hopes on Qomolangma expeditions

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Nearly 300 climbers are planning to conquer the world’s highest peak of Mount Qomolangma this spring season, after a halt of two consecutive years. Altogether 279 climbers from 32 teams have received the climbing permits to date, according to Department of Tourism, the authoritative body to issue climbing permits.The number is likely to increase within the next two weeks as many climbers have been applying to the Department for the permits, leading to a high possibility of the revival of tourism in the quake-ravaged country.

“Among 279 climbers, 247 climbers have already left for the Qomolangma region and the others will be leaving shortly. We are expecting a total of 300 climbers this time,” Gyanendra Shrestha, an official at the Department of Tourism informed Xinhua on Friday.

April to May is the major climbing season of the world’s highest peak and other peaks like Mount Lhotse, Annapurna, Makalu and Mount Nuptse in Nepal.

This year, the spring expedition holds a special significance for the country’s tourism industry in the wake of the devastating earthquake last year, which killed nearly 9,000 people and left more than half a million homeless.

Qomolangma has not only been a major natural icon of the country but also a major source of revenue for its economy. The Himalayan country that charges 11,000 U.S. dollars per foreign climber earns nearly 3.5 million U.S. dollars from Qomolangma annually.

This spring, most of the climbers are from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Belgium, Austria, the UAE and India. Twenty-nine climbers are on an expedition from China alone, including three females climbers.

Nepal’s southern neighbor India is also sending 61 individuals to Qomolangma this year including an all-girls team from the Indian Army National Cadet Corps.

The latest development is being supported by the Nepalese government’s decision to extend the climbing permits of 103 different expeditions issued in 2015 by two more years. The decision has encouraged more national and international climbers to scale the 8848 meter peak.

Expeditions to Qomolangma were halted for two consecutive years in 2014 and 2015 due to a massive avalanche and a 7.8 magnitude earthquake respectively. Sixteen Sherpa guides were killed on the mountain in the 2014 avalanche and 19 climbers lost their lives in an avalanche triggered by the deadly quake last year.

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