Kathmandu, May 7: In the upcoming spring climbing season of 2024, Mount Everest is set to welcome 414 climbers who have obtained official permission to embark on this challenging expedition.

Among these climbers, 75 are women and 339 are men, representing a diverse array of adventurers from 41 different climbing groups. While this number is slightly lower than last year’s record of 478 climbers, the enthusiasm for conquering the world’s highest peak remains undiminished.

Chun Bahadur Tamang, the Branch Officer of the Mountaineering Branch at the Department of Tourism, revealed that a total of 971 climbers, organized into 120 climbing groups, have secured permits to ascend 30 different mountains, including Mount Everest. Notably, an impressive sum of Rs 67 crore 47 lakh 14 thousand 61 has been collected in royalties for these mountain climbing permits, with Everest alone contributing Rs 59 crore 23 lakh five thousand eight hundred and forty nine to this total.

The preparation for the Everest ascent is well underway, with the route to the fourth camp (South Col, 7950 m.) already opened for climbers. Vasant Yam’s team has successfully completed the crucial rope-fixing work up to the fourth camp, marking significant progress in facilitating a safe and successful climb. Prior to this, a dedicated team of icefall doctors diligently carved out a path from the Everest base camp to the second camp, ensuring that climbers have a clear route to follow as they embark on this extraordinary journey.