November 23, 2020
issued a record number of permits in 2019, leading
to overcrowding near the summit that played a
role in 11 deaths.
“I have a feeling that there will be a surge in
climbers in 2021, as many climbers who had already
planned their climb in 2020 had to postpone their
climb due to the pandemic,” says Ang Tshering
Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering
Association and chairman of Asian Trekking Pvt.,
based in Kathmandu. However, he thinks the risks
of overcrowding can be mitigated, saying “the traffic
jam on Everest in the previous years was due to lack
ofcoordinationamongtheexpeditionoperators
andgovernmentofficersatbasecamp.”
Atthesametime,heworriesthateconomicdif-
ficultiesintheU.S.,Europe,andelsewherecould
leadtoa dropinnewbookings,withclimbers
strugglingtoraisecorporatesponsorshipmoney
todefraythecostoftheascent.“IwouldsayI have
a mixedfeeling,butatthesametimeI amkeeping
a positivethoughtfor2021.”—PabloRobles
31
DATA: THE HIMALAYAN DATABASE; NEPAL MINISTRY OF CULTURE, TOURISM & CIVIL AVIATION
THE BOTTOM LINE Nepal’s government had set its sights on
luring 2 million visitors in 2020. Instead, a seven-month travel ban
has devastated the industry that revolves around Mount Everest.
People above
base camp on Mount
Everestduringthe
springseason
Climbers
Hired Sherpas
Government royalties
frommountaineering in
Nepalin 2019
MountEverest
Other peaks
$4.1m
$1.0m
600
400
200
0
1970 2020