Climbing Mount Everest becomes more expensive in new bid to tackle overtourism

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nepal is set to increase the cost of climbing Mount Everest, marking the first price hike for the world’s highest peak in nearly a decade. For Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Everest, the influx of foreign climbers provides a crucial source of income and employment opportunities. The new rate will come into effect from September and apply for the popular climbing April-May season along the standard South East Ridge, or South Col route, pioneered by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. open image in gallery Bright yellow tents in Mount Everest Base Camp, Khumbu glacier and mountains, Sagarmatha national park, Nepal, Himalayas Nepal is often criticised by mountaineering experts for allowing too many climbers on Everest and doing little to keep it clean or to ensure climbers’ safety.