Full Royalty Exemption for 97 Peaks in Karnali and Sudurpaschim

The Government of Nepal has announced a complete waiver of climbing royalties for 97 mountains located in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces. The waiver will apply for two consecutive fiscal years, the current fiscal year 2025/26 and the following year 2026/27.

A Cabinet meeting held on July 28 took a decision to this effect. Under Article 36 of the Tourism Act, 1978 and Rule 32(b) of the Mountaineering Regulations, 2002, the government will implement the waiver and publish a formal notice in the Nepal Gazette.

According to the Nepal Mountaineering Association, although 471 peaks across Nepal are open for mountaineering, only a limited number, such as Everest and Manaslu, consistently attract climbers.

Low Traffic Peaks Get Policy Incentive

Despite being officially opened, peaks in Karnali and Sudurpaschim have seen little interest from mountaineers. In response, the royalty exemption aims to encourage traffic toward these under-climbed regions.

Dr. Narayan Prasad Regmi, Director General of the Department of Tourism, said the initiative is part of a broader effort to promote tourism in these provinces. “Peaks like Api and Saipal are technically open for climbing, but no expeditions have taken place there yet,” he stated. “The royalty waiver is intended to stimulate mountaineering interest in these areas.”

Regulatory Provision for Royalty Exemptions

The Mountaineering Regulations, 2002 provide the legal framework for such exemptions. The rules allow the government to fully or partially waive climbing royalties for specific categories: Nepali climbers, Nepali members of foreign expeditions, or any climber summiting designated peaks, once a formal notice is issued via the Nepal Gazette.

The provision also permits royalty exemptions for peaks with fewer than three climbing expeditions per year, peaks in former Mid-Western and Far-Western development regions, technically easy and short-duration climbs, peaks designated by the Nepal Government and expeditions conducted during the off-seasons from May 29 to August 31 and December 16 to February 27.

The regulation also specifies royalty fees for various peaks, excluding Mt. Everest. These fees are set in US dollars and vary based on group size. Fees are tiered for teams of up to seven climbers, with additional charges for each extra member.