Mount Everest climber numbers down

By Chhetu Sherpa, Kathmandu, April 12: The number of climbers on Mount Everest has decreased this year.

The statistics have shown that the number of climbers on the world's highest peak has decreased by half in comparison to the last year. 

According to the press release by the Department of Tourism, 289 people from 18 climbing teams have taken permission to climb Mt Everest till Wednesday. This is 128 per cent less in mountain expeditions than the previous year.

Director of the Adventure Tourism and Mountaineering Branch within the Department of Tourism Rakesh Gurung said that in the previous year, 487 climbers from 65 different countries took permission to ascend Mt Everest. Of the total climbers, 102 were women and 376 were men. 

Head of the Trekking Camp Nepal Wangchhe Sherpa said that as most of the climbers have already left for the base camp, there is little chance of getting more climbing permits. There is a need to prepare to ascend by warming up climbing small mountains and working for high altitude consumption, so the climbers are yet to reach the base camp. 

Lakpa Sherpa, the guide said that some mountaineers were on the way to base camp. 

As most of the climbers have left for the base camp for climbing, there is little chance of getting more climbing permits, said the head of Trekking Camp Nepal, Wangchhe Sherpa. After reaching the base camp, the climbers have already reached the base camp because they have to climb small mountains and work for high altitude consumption in order to prepare for the ascent.

Guide Lakpa Sherpa informed that some climbers are on the way to start their expeditions. By Wednesday, only 512 climbers have taken permission to climb 19 mountains.

Decline in revenue collection with decrease in summiteers 

The government makes a revenue of 11,000 US Dollars per foreign summiteers to summit Everest. The cost for domestic climbers is Rs 75,000. The decline of mountaineers affects the revenue collection of the country.

Around 680 million of revenue was collected from the summit permission of Mount Everest only. This year, it has gone down to Rs 297 million.  

According to mountain guide Kunga Sherpa, the number of summiteers from Nepal has decreased this year, because expeditions from the Tibetan side have opened as well.  It is cheap and easy to summit from the Tibetan side so many choose to submit from the Tibetan side. 

Impede in summit due to late in expedition route fixing 

Even though it is pick time to summit Everest, the work of fixing the route is yet to cross Khumbu icefall. It is considered the most challenging while climbing Everest. 

It is informed that the preparation is underway to fix the expedition route used in 2004 as it will be brought to use this year as well. The fixing of the Everest expedition route will reach to the camp 1. 

Coordinator of the Icefall doctor Sarki Sherpa said that the route that had been used for the expedition got lost due to a crevasse. It took time to find a route which delayed the process of making a way to Everest. 

Guide Kunga Sherpa said that as the climate is clear, eight icefall doctors have been working on fixing routes regularly.