Got Everest on your bucket list? We respect that – but before you scale the highest summit, you might want to consider one of 97 equally dazzling Himalayan peaks. The Nepalese government has just waived the climbing fees for these mountains for the next two years in a bid to attract mountaineers to its remote western region.
Of the 97 mountains in question, twenty are in Sudurpashchim and seventy-seven are in Karnali province, which comprise some of the poorest and least developed areas in the country. With peaks ranging between 5,970 metres and 7,132 metres, these smaller mountains are often overlooked for just 25 famous mountains – including Everest – in Nepal's northeast and central regions.
The Nepalese government's hope is two-pronged: to ease overtourism at the world's highest peak, and to boost the economy in its far-west. Already, it has introduced a slew of new rules to ease congestion and improve safety on Mount Everest, mandating the wear of tracking devices, banning solo climbers on peaks above 8,000 metres, and raising peak season climbing fees from $11,000 to $15,000.
Currently, the government is considering imposing a new requirement: for climbers to first conquer a 7,000-metre peak in Nepal before attempting to summit Mount Everest. If that goes through, we imagine that the nearly 100 mountains in Sudurpashchim and Karnali will prove ideal training ground for ambitious mountaineers.
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