In Nepal, this climbing season, 492 mountaineers have been issued permits to climb Mt Everest. The new figure surpasses the previous record of 479 permits set in 2023. The royalties generated from Mt Everest alone amounted to USD 7.19 million, over NPR 1.07 billion.
Climbers from 55 countries will scale the highest peak of the world. The United States fielded the largest national contingent with 76 climbers, followed by China with 109 climbers across all peaks, India with 95, the United Kingdom with 74, Germany with 71, and Russia with 69.
Nepal issued a total of 1,134 climbing permits this season in which 860 are male and 274 are female climbers. Total royalties reached is NPR 1.24 billion. The figures cover the period from March 1 to May 8, 2026. Among 30 permitted peaks in Nepal open to summitteers, after Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse recorded the second-highest climber count with 120 permits, followed by Mt Ama Dablam with 111 and Mt Makalu with 72.
