Ten years ago, at a time when SARS was instilling widespread fear among the Chinese public, China’s first civilian mountaineering team, led by Wang Shi, then-chairman of Vanke, successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest. A reporter accompanied the team on the expedition and witnessed this historic moment.
The 2003 Everest expedition led by Wang Shi opened a new chapter in the commercialization of Everest climbing in China. Over the following decade, the commercial operation of Everest climbs became increasingly mature, with more and more non-professional climbers reaching the summit. At the same time, calls from the public for sports authorities to relax the access restrictions for Everest climbing have grown louder.
According to relevant regulations, climbing Mount Everest must be serviced by local professional mountaineering guide companies. Before the climb, climbers must pay an upfront fee of about 250,000 yuan to the guiding company. Including other expenses, the minimum cost is around 300,000 yuan. Unwilling to accept these restrictions, some climbers attempt unauthorized ascents, but they are usually “escorted” down the mountain.
Climbing Mount Everest is indeed a very expensive endeavor: all climbing gear is custom-made. A one-piece climbing suit costs 8,000 yuan, and knee-high mountaineering boots cost at least 7,000 yuan. Hiring a top-tier high-altitude guide costs 100,000 yuan. Oxygen is required during the climb—at altitudes above 7,000 meters, each bottle of oxygen costs 5,000 yuan; above 8,000 meters, each bottle costs 8,000 yuan.
With the rise of outdoor sports, there are now dozens of domestic mountaineering and adventure companies. However, due to Everest’s unique location, currently only Tibet Shengshan Mountaineering Adventure Co., Ltd. is qualified to provide Everest climbing services in China.
Some industry insiders believe that “safety” is just an excuse, and that this nanny-style climbing service is excessive for those who enjoy free and independent climbing.
There are two main routes to climb Everest: from the North Slope in China and the South Slope in Nepal. In Nepal, as long as you pay the local adventure company, even those without prior experience summiting peaks above 8,000 meters can attempt Everest. The commercial price for climbing Everest in Nepal typically ranges between 20,000 and 30,000 USD (about 120,000 to 200,000 RMB), which is only half the cost in China. Additionally, due to competition among several high-altitude adventure companies, if you choose to climb independently without hiring a professional guide or setting up camps, the cost can be even lower. For this reason, many mainland climbers often go the extra mile and lead expeditions to climb Everest from Nepal.
Zhang Mingxing, head of the Mountaineering Sports Management Center under the Tibet Sports Bureau, said that the guides and support staff from Shengshan Company are all trained by the mountaineering school and are familiar with Everest’s terrain and features. Considering that the technology is not yet mature, they have not considered allowing other companies to offer Everest climbing services. “We had previously tried relaxing the restrictions for a while, but then an incident occurred. Once, a climber from Jiangsu got into trouble on the mountain.”
Climbing Everest is dangerous, and it is indeed necessary to set certain thresholds. But many “mountain friends” suggest relaxing the climbing rights for Everest. How to strike a balance between safe climbing and self-guided climbing is something that authorities, mountaineering adventure companies, and climbers are all thinking about. When and to what extent the restrictions on Everest climbing will be lifted remains uncertain. The adventure companies waiting for business opportunities are eagerly watching, and so are the many mountaineering enthusiasts.