Price to climb Mount Everest goes up, steeply

Nepal says it's increasing the fees it charges climbers wanting to scale Mount Everest.

From September, people seeking to climb the world's tallest mountain will need to pay more than £12,000 during peak season.

The money made from climbers is an important source of income for the Himalayan nation.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Everest.

What's been announced?

Climbing Mount Everest is no easy task, and a dream of many mountaineers around the world.

Everest lies in the Himalayan mountain range in Asia and stands at 8,848.86 metres (29,031 ft) tall - that's around the height at which passenger planes fly.

It typically takes around two months to climb, as the summit is believed to be the highest place on Earth.

However from later this year, it's set to get more expensive.

The new rate announced by Nepal's Department of Tourism will come into effect from September and it will apply for the popular April to May climbing season.

Last year Nepal earned around £4 million from Everest permit fees.

The trouble with tourism

Nepal is often criticised by experts for allowing too many climbers on Everest, which can damage the environment there, and for not doing enough to keep it clean.

Several climbers say the route to the summit is littered with rubbish and human poo.

In 2019, the Nepalese army began carrying out an annual clean-up of the mountain, which has been described as the 'world's highest garbage dump'.