Nepal Grants Autumn Permits to 648 Climbers, Raising Rs 239M

The Department of Tourism has issued autumn climbing permits to 648 mountaineers representing 69 countries for expeditions across 20 peaks, generating roughly Rs 238.96 million in royalties. According to department figures confirmed by information officer Suraj Ghimire, the cleared climbers include 485 men and 163 women divided across 71 expedition teams.

Mount Manaslu drew the bulk of this season's traffic, with 500 climbers in 43 groups securing authorization. Royalties from Manaslu surpassed Rs 225.85 million, contributing more than 94 percent of total permit earnings. Other mountains receiving expeditions include Dhaulagiri I with 34 climbers, Putha Hiunchuli with 20, Danga Hiunchuli with 16, and Baruntse with 10.

Chinese nationals form the largest contingent by nationality with 118 climbers, followed by 57 from Russia, 51 from France, and 41 from the United States. Twenty Nepali citizens have also taken permits to climb as expedition members.