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Can reduced climbing fees save Everest?
01:00 am CDT Aug 23, 2007
(MountEverest.net) The fall Himalaya list of expeditions is thinner than usual. Karakoram meanwhile, sported a record breaking season this summer. In response to drastically reduced climbing fees; 106 teams migrated to the Karakoram mountains - about 20 teams up from an already packed previous year.
Nepal has taken notice; the government now announces its own reductions in fees. The slash will however only be valid off-season. China seems to care less; further increased fees and screening of climbers is on the table for next spring.
10 grand vs. 1
The climbing fees for Everest north side went up already last year, to US$ 4900 per person. In addition, Sherpa expenses were raised. The Chinese government stated the increase was, “due to a special program focused on China’s Olympics 2008.”
The China/Tibet Mountaineering Association (CMA/TMA ) are now reportedly also negotiating with Nepal, asking them to help "close" the peak from both sides during the Olympic torch team's summit push next year.
China contemplates another increase at around US$2000 pp. At $7000, a north side Everest climbing fee would then only be slightly lower than the minimum $8,760 fee in Nepal. Both in turn much higher than the K2 climbing fee of less than $1000 per climber.
Can an Everest sale bring back fall climbing?
The Pakistan Ministry of Tourism slashed the 8000+ climbing fees by 50% in high season, and by 95% during the winter season (December-February).
"We are thinking about reducing the fees by 50 per cent during the autumn season and by 75 per cent during the winter season," Nepal's Minister of Tourism told Reuters.
This could be a good idea to ease the crammed Everest spring season. Between 1987 and 1996 there were autumn summits every single year on Everest; in the beginning of the nineties almost as many climbers summited during autumn as during spring. But things changed with the new millennium.
In recent years, nearly all expeditions climb the peak in spring - when the Khumbu icefall is well maintained by the Ice Doctors and strong Sherpa teams from dozens of expeditions fix ropes up the route.
2006: The first Everest South side fall summit since 2000
Last year was an exception: Two teams attempted Everest in the fall season, one from each side. On October 18, the Berg Adventures team achieved the first Everest autumn summit since 2002 and the first autumn South side summit since 2000.
On the north side, a Spanish team failed a September alpine-style attempt on the difficult Supercouloir.
This year, no climbers have applied to climb Everest in fall or winter and the question is if price really is the issue to the regular Everest crowd. Odd routes and seasons are cheaper already, but haven't lured many attempts.
Money not lacking on Everest
Statistics show that not only off season, but also off normal route climbs on 8000ers are becoming increasingly rare - not to mention new routes.
The technically more challenging climbs on Everest have almost vanished. From 26% 1953-1980, down to 5% in the 90s and only 1% during the millennium. Out of 18 routes on Everest, only the North Col and South Col routes are routinely scaled these days.
The scenario is a bit different in Pakistan, with the peaks attracting more skilled but less wealthy climbers - explaining perhaps the positive response to the price reduction. Several new route attempts are currently ongoing on K2 - all made by Russian or Kazakh climbers.
A couple of winter attempts were made as well this past season, by a team of Polish climbers and an Italian/Pakistan two-man team.
The biggest value of slashed climbing fees in Nepal will lie with less fortunate climbers, and that would be the first good thing coming from the commerce and crowds on Everest.
Services rendered
But then there is the question of services rendered by the countries. It's safe to say that climbers (with a few commercial exceptions) feel anything but welcome on Everest north side.
This spring, the Chinese Olympic torch team closed down the regular BC, and erected a fence around their camp with armed military personnel minding the entrances.
Only a sole, independent climber objected - refusing space in one of the commercial team's grounds - he proceeded to move the boundary ropes of the four combined Chinese expeditions, "against the advice of myself and the Sherpas who were also erecting tents for other expeditions," reported the surprised commercial expedition leader.
Large commercial teams left Sherpas on guard to protect their land. "HiMex team occupies the most sought after real estate at ABC,” reported a team member. “In order to achieve this and thwart the ambitions of other teams, Russ ordered one unfortunate HiMex employee to camp out, in splendid but mind-numbing isolation, for weeks on end, protecting our plot, until our trucks arrived at BC and the equipment was carried to our chosen ABC plot.”
Searches, arrests, monitoring of information
On the approach, Chinese police screened climbers and one (Prague's Mayor) was denied entry altogether, in spite of visa and climbing permit, reportedly for being too outspoken against the Chinese dictatorship.
April 24, four US citizens were arrested after they unfurled a banner reading "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008." The Chinese government expelled the four Americans, accused of performing "illegal activities aimed at splitting China."
A climbing team was woken at 2 a.m. while they slept in a small village by the Chinese police battering at their doors. Having gone through their paperwork and credentials, the police headed on their way.
Even ExWeb got an email from a climbing journalist who was told that CTMA is monitoring ExplorersWeb and, "apparently are very pissed off about what you are publishing."
Fees increased on climbing
Climbing fees were raised upon climbers’ very arrival on the peak.
“Before proceeding to Tibet ABC, I will undertake a wide detour — fly to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, to negotiate with CTMA on the new traverse charges of $3,000/person that they slapped on our expedition,” reported an expedition leader.
“This is on top of the added $1,700/person climbing permit they imposed recently. I will discuss with them why they imposed new traverse charges — when we are already in the middle of our expedition! If this was presented earlier then we would have prepared and considered our options knowing that costs and charges just keep on going up.”
The Olympic spirit
The Chinese torch team was outrun to the summit by two young, independent climbers. The two Kazakhs climbed without oxygen, and asked some Russian friends to bring them a gas stove in case their Sherpas were on the way up. It turned out that they spent two days above 8,000m without water.
As all Sherpas were down except for the Chinese, a Russian addressed the Chinese’s Olympic expedition, who’s Sherpas were highest at that point (7,900m). The Chinese turned down the request to walk over with a stove to the two young climbers.
May 9, the Chinese finally placed 17 beaming climbers on summit.
The climbers carried about half a dozen Olympic torches in cloth sacks attached to their packs, said the torches burned well up there, had a cigarette at the North Col, pulled a few tents in ABC and bailed out. Behind, an empty shell monster BC, and a truck-mounted mobile phone tower. "I was told it might go today," reported a climber. "There is a smaller, lower capacity repeater, but i am guessing that the 3G services, including receiving and sending videos by phone will stop."
Most of the team was students or ex-students from the Tibetan mountaineering school, with only a couple of non-Tibetan mountaineering school people present.
How close is Nepal to China?
Meanwhile in Nepal, Maoist leader Prachanda was stepping up pressure measures, threatening with a general strike and mass-protests unless the King was definitely deposed and the country declared a Republic.
In fact, Prachanda sort of had his own expedition on Everest: The Nepal Democratic expedition, aiming to hoist the flags of the eight political parties of Nepal on Everest. Team member Usha Bista said her guide and team members refused to give her food and water and abandoned her after she fell sick in the mountain's high altitudes. She was rescued by IMG and stated she would file a complaint against her team leader.
With the Maoists being part of the government now, question is how close Nepal is to China these days. Reports say that China is literally paying Nepal, to send Tibetan refugees back over the border. Climbers have been forced to pay "revolutionary fees" to the Maoists for years, although that situation seems to have improved.
Then there are the weird extra charges, such as climbers forced to pay a "garbage fee" when unable to retrieve friends lost to avalanche or falls on the peaks.
While mountaineering information is better than in China, the Nepal ministry seems uninspired lately - changes in climbing fees and other issues involving climbers are at best announced in mainstream media.
Pakistan, a friendly place
Today, many mountaineers in fact view Pakistan as a safer and friendlier place than both China and Nepal - and the only remaining free zone for independent climbing. In spite of all its difficulties, the Pakistan government goes out of its way to make climbers feel welcome.
There is a complete transparency in terms of climbing fees, summit reports, and statistics - even briefings and debriefs are all diligently reported. The "Fearless Five" rescue choppers perform incredible rescues of stranded climbers - often on dangerous altitudes.
Reduced climbing fees are a good thing. But other values matter too. The burning torches on Everest summit next year might mark the end of freedom not only in Tibet - but also on Everest north side. The question is, which way Nepal will go.
Climbing fees in 2007 (per person):
Everest north side:
US$ 4900 – no matter the size of the team.
Everest south side:
US$ 10,000 (pending the size of the team)
Other peaks in Himalaya (Nepal)
8000-8848 m: US$ 10,000 (pending the size of the team)
7500-8000 m: US$ 4,000
7000-7500 m: US$ 3,000
(Source: Nepal mountain news.)
Pakistan:
K2: US$ 1000 (US$ 6000 for a team of seven).
8000-8500 m: US$ 750 (US$ 4500 for a team of seven)
7500-8000 m: US$ 250 (US$ 2000 for a team of seven)
7000-7500 m: US$ 150 (US$ 1250 for a team of seven)
(Source Alpine Club of Pakistan)
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