Climbing in Nepal

Island Peak, or Imja Tse, is the most climbed trekking peak in Nepal. It rises from the head of the Imja valley above Chhukung, a short walk from Dingboche on the Everest Base Camp route, so most climbers do the full trek to acclimatise first and add three or four days for the climb. Summit day starts around midnight from base camp at about 5,100 m: a rocky trail, a glacier crossing with ladders over crevasses, then a steep snow and ice headwall on fixed ropes to a narrow ridge. You need crampons, a harness and an ascender, and most teams run a training session at base camp the day before.

The Annapurna Circuit has its own climbing peaks above Manang. Pisang Peak (6,091 m) is a steep snow slope to a short summit ridge, and the Chulu peaks to the north are bigger, more serious undertakings with high camps. Both fit into the circuit before the Thorong La crossing. Inside the Annapurna Sanctuary, Tharpu Chuli, also called Tent Peak, is a shorter glacier climb from Annapurna Base Camp under Machapuchare.

In Langtang National Park, Yala Peak (about 5,500 m) is climbed from Kyanjin Gompa at the head of the Langtang Valley. It is the easiest snow peak in the country and a good first taste of crampons and ropes, three to four days from Kathmandu by road.

Ama Dablam (6,812 m) is the most popular expedition peak after Everest: a steep rock and ice ridge with three high camps above Pangboche, and a serious technical climb for experienced mountaineers. Manaslu (8,163 m) is the usual first 8,000er for climbers who have done 6,000 and 7,000 m peaks, and Himlung Himal (7,126 m) near the Tibetan border is a common step up to 7,000 m.

Everest (8,849 m) is climbed from Everest Base Camp through the Khumbu Icefall, mostly in late April and May. The government permit (royalty) for foreigners rose from USD 11,000 to USD 15,000 per climber from 1 September 2025, before outfitter, oxygen, Sherpa and insurance costs. At the other end of the scale, the government has waived royalties for two years from July 2025 on 97 remote peaks in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, among them Api (7,132 m) and Saipal (7,030 m), to draw climbers to the far west.

Nagarjun, inside Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park about 30 minutes from Thamel, is the closest crag to Kathmandu and the usual first outdoor climb: around 15 to 20 bolted routes in pine forest, many of them beginner friendly. Foreigners pay the park entry fee of NPR 1,000 (about USD 7).

Hattiban, on a forested ridge near Pharping about an hour south of the city, has harder limestone routes, mostly around French 6a to 7a (5.10a to 5.11d), and is better suited to experienced climbers. Thamel agencies run guided day trips to both with gear and transport.

Pokhara has smaller crags in the hills around Phewa Lake. The best documented is the Three Sisters crag, with 14 or more numbered, bolted routes on pocketed conglomerate, run by a local trekking company that charges about NPR 500 (about USD 4) per person per day.

Bimal Nagar, on the Kathmandu to Pokhara highway at the turn-off for Bandipur, is the best road-trip crag in the country, with about 30 bolted sport routes, from beginner grades to some of the hardest in Nepal. Combine it with a night in Bandipur’s old bazaar.

For the peaks, autumn (October to November) brings the most stable weather and clearest views, with colder summit days; spring (April to May) is warmer, busier on the Everest side and the only real Everest season. Winter brings deep cold and high winds above 6,000 m, and the monsoon (June to September) hides the mountains and makes trails and flights unreliable. Rock climbing in the Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara is best from October to April, when the rock is dry; Pokhara gets heavy monsoon rain. See our best time to visit Nepal page for month-by-month weather.

• Permits: trekking peaks are licensed by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and the expedition peaks by the Department of Tourism, both through a registered agency. NMA fees for foreigners run to a few hundred US dollars in spring and roughly half that in autumn; the schedule was revised in 2025, so ask your agency for the current figure.
• Park and local fees: Sagarmatha National Park costs NPR 3,000 (about USD 22) plus the Khumbu municipality fee; Langtang and the Annapurna Conservation Area are NPR 3,000 each.
• Guides: the mountaineering rules revised in 2025 require at least one guide per climbing team (one per two climbers on 8,000 m peaks), and the 2023 guide rule already covers most trekking routes outside the Khumbu. Our Nepal trekking guide explains TIMS cards and route permits.
• Packages: Island Peak and Mera Peak trips with guide, permits, lodges, camping and Lukla flights typically cost about USD 2,000 to 4,000; expedition peaks cost many times more.
• Gear: Thamel shops rent and sell boots, crampons, harnesses, down suits and sleeping bags. Check boot fit carefully before you rent, and bring your own if you climb regularly.