With the golden climbing season from April to June approaching, Everest is seeing a rise in challengers.
In May 2013, Liaoning young painter Sun Yiquan successfully summited Mount Everest. (CFP)
Tibet Mountaineering Expedition team members during their ascent of Mount Everest. (File photo from Xinhua News Agency)
The world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, saw its first ever year without a successful summit last year, but this year has witnessed a “climbing boom.” Climbing costs for Everest have skyrocketed in recent years, nearly doubling from the 200,000 RMB price tag of five years ago. Those looking to take on the challenge now need to have at least 400,000 RMB ready.
According to mainland China’s mountaineering management regulations, climbing Everest does not allow individual registration. Mountaineering enthusiasts must apply through professional mountaineering companies or associations and obtain approval after review to qualify for the climb. Local mountaineering operators say that the cost to climb Everest was 330,000 RMB per person last year, and this year it starts at 400,000 RMB. “More and more people want to climb Everest.”
This sky-high climbing fee includes expenses for accommodation, meals, transportation, high-altitude medical staff, and professional guides during the climb. Equipment costs are just part of it—a set of specialized gear such as high-altitude boots, safety ropes, ice axes, and warm clothing can cost 50,000 to 60,000 RMB. High-altitude oxygen bottles are priced per bottle, with each bottle costing 10,000 RMB when climbing above 8,000 meters.
Dozens attempt illegal climbs each year
The high cost of climbing has led many enthusiasts to say Everest has become too commercialized, and that ordinary climbers simply can’t afford it. Some describe Everest as a “world peak paved with cash” or “an activity for the wealthy.” Some climbers even take risks by “sneaking up,” carrying their own supplies, finding their own guides and team members, and ascending outside official climbing seasons without permission from the Tibet Mountaineering Association. These illicit climbs cost as little as 100,000 RMB. There are at least dozens of such “illegal climbs” every year.
According to statistics, as of August 2015, a total of 4,093 people have successfully summited Everest. Peking University’s Mountain Eagle Club recently announced its plan to join the summiting ranks, stating that in May 2018, it will team up with experienced alumni to conquer the world’s highest peak.
Mini Guide: Mount Everest
Also known as “Qomolangma” or “Sacred Mother Peak,” it is the world’s highest mountain, part of the Himalayas, located on the border between mainland China and Nepal. Its northern slope lies within Tibet, while the southern slope is in Nepal.
According to measurements by China’s National Bureau of Surveying and Mapping in 2005, Everest’s rock height is 8,844.43 meters, while Nepal uses the traditional snow height measurement of 8,848 meters. Aside from being the highest peak above sea level, Everest is also the fifth farthest peak from the Earth’s core. (Chen Yijun)