In the rarified air of Nepal’s political chambers—far below the altitude where climbers actually die—bureaucrats have cooked up new restrictions for Mount Everest that reveal whose interests truly summit first: the government’s bank account.
After years of criticism over overcrowding and inexperienced climbers tackling the world’s highest peak, Nepal’s proposed legislation would require proof of having climbed a 7,000-meter Nepali mountain before granting an Everest permit. Think of it as an expensive opening act nobody asked for before the headline performance.
According to CNN, the draft law has been registered at Nepal’s National Assembly, where the ruling alliance holds the majority needed to pass it. Meanwhile, the government increased permit fees to $15,000 starting September—up from $11,000—while issuing a record 478 permits in 2023 when at least 18 climbers lost their lives, making it the deadliest season on record.
The Sherpa-Only Mandate
The draft legislation additionally requires all guides and expedition leaders be Nepali citizens, creating what appears to be a government-sanctioned monopoly on guide services. This provision would effectively eliminate foreign competition while being presented as a safety enhancement.
Many Sherpa guides have generations of experience on Everest and intimate knowledge of the mountain’s conditions. However, international expedition operators have expressed concerns about the exclusivity of the proposed requirements.
Lukas Furtenbach of Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures expressed reservations in comments reported by Reuters: “It is important that mountain guides have qualifications like IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations), no matter what nationality they are.”
Follow The Money Trail
Like streaming services that keep raising prices while cutting content, Nepal maintains a complicated relationship with its greatest natural resource. The Everest industry generates millions annually through permits, tourism, and support services.
The country’s economy is heavily dependent on mountaineering tourism, with each climbing season bringing significant foreign exchange. Local businesses along trekking routes—from teahouses to guide services—also rely on the steady flow of international climbers.
For aspiring Everest climbers, the new restrictions would add significant costs. An additional expedition to a 7,000-meter peak in Nepal could mean thousands of dollars in extra expenses and months or years of additional preparation. The impact on international climbers who have already invested years training specifically for Everest could be substantial.
The Environmental Challenge
While discussion focuses on the new climbing requirements, a significant environmental crisis continues on Everest’s slopes. Reports from multiple mountaineering organizations suggest an estimated 30 tons of garbage currently litters the mountain—from empty oxygen tanks to abandoned tents and human waste.
The current system uses a refundable deposit meant to encourage climbers to bring down their waste. According to reporting from The Kathmandu Post, the draft legislation proposes changes to this system, though specific details remain unclear.
You know how in Jurassic Park they were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should? That’s Everest tourism in a nutshell.
As oxygen bottles and human waste continue to accumulate on the slopes of the world’s highest peak, and as the death toll rises year after year, one reality becomes inescapable: the balance between preservation and commercialization of one of the most dangerous tourist attractions, remains precarious at best.
Whether Nepal’s new restrictions will meaningfully address safety concerns or merely reshape the economics of who gets to climb remains an open question that the 2025 climbing season may begin to answer.
