Nepal tourism from mountain climbing are increasing, with more people reaching the country’s high peaks. According to the Department of Tourism, Nepal collected over Rs 63.82 crore in revenue from mountain and peak climbing last year.
Between Falgun 18 and Baisakh 9, 2081 BS, a total of 41 climbers; 26 men and 15 women successfully reached the summit of Mount Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain at 8,556 meters. This climb generated Rs 1.97 crore in revenue.
During the same period, 66 climbers successfully scaled Mount Makalu, bringing in Rs 1.62 crore. On Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, 374 climbers; 302 men and 72 women reached the summit, generating Rs 55.49 crore in revenue.
In that climbing season, a total of 869 climbers; 678 men and 191 women, both Nepali and foreign reached the top of 23 mountains and peaks in Nepal. Altogether, the revenue from these climbs amounted to Rs 63.82 crore.
The Himalayas stretch across Nepal, China, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Tajikistan. Of the world’s ten highest peaks, eight are in Nepal; including Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Annapurna I. All of these peaks are over 8,000 meters high. However, due to climate change, the snow line in these mountains is gradually moving higher, exposing more bare rock.
According to 2021 A.D report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) found that in the Kanchenjunga region, the snow line has been rising by an average of 6.5 meters each year. The number of glacial lakes in the area has also grown from 27 fifteen years ago to 49 today.
Another ICIMOD report in 2022 AD showed that Nepal’s average temperature has increased by 0.3 to 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade. This has accelerated glacier melting, caused the snow line to rise faster, and affected the lives, farming, livestock, and water supply of people living in the mountains.
Experts warn that without urgent climate adaptation and long-term strategies, glaciers will shrink even faster. This could have a serious impact on water resources, biodiversity, and food security in the future.
