NEPAL’s famous mountains including Everest have long attracted global climbers, but a growing community now explores hidden summits offering solitude and first ascent opportunities.
The Himalayan nation hosts eight of the world’s ten highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of climbers annually, making mountaineering a lucrative industry.
While commercial expeditions dominate Everest and other 8,000-metre giants, a new generation looks sideways toward Nepal’s countless 6,000- and 7,000-metre summits.
Nepal has 462 peaks open for climbing with approximately one hundred never summited.
French alpinist and veteran expedition leader Paulo Grobel stated that focusing below 8,000 metres reveals tremendous climbing potential.
This autumn Nepal issued 1,323 climbing permits across its mountain ranges.
Most climbers join large commercial expeditions on popular peaks while small independent teams disperse across remote, lesser-known mountains.
Many expeditions including French, Japanese and Swiss teams tackle summits in true alpine style with minimal support and no supplementary oxygen.
French mountaineering star Benjamin Vedrines described alpine style climbing as a huge challenge offering greater adventure.
Vedrines believes Nepal’s mountains below 8,000 metres present enormous possibilities despite being undervalued by society.
This shift occurs as sustainability, overcrowding and commercialisation questions reshape mountaineering.
Himalayan Database manager Billi Bierling called this development beautiful given crowding on 8,000-metre peaks.
Bierling expressed hope that these technically difficult climbs will also prove safe for participants.
Many mid-range Nepali peaks remain logistically challenging due to remote locations rather than technical difficulty.
Nepali climber Vinayak Malla noted that access represents the primary challenge in Nepal’s remote climbing areas.
Malla explained that expensive travel and difficult rescues complicate expeditions to undeveloped regions.
Smaller expeditions spread climbers across wider areas, bringing tourism income to valleys outside mainstream routes.
Nepal waived climbing fees for 97 mountains in August to promote lesser-known peaks.
Nepal tourism department mountaineering chief Himal Gautam observed increasing interest in mountains below 8,000 metres.
Gautam stated that Nepal gradually promotes new regions as infrastructure and support services develop.
Paulo Grobel calls this exploration another chapter in Nepal’s climbing story with endless possibilities for genuine climbing experiences. – AFP
