K2 Climbing Fees Skyrocket by Nearly 200%
— September 16, 2024
GILGIT (AIA) The Government of Gilgit-Baltistan has officially announced new fees for mountaineering and trekking permits, including a substantial increase in the cost of permits for climbing K2, the world’s second-highest peak.
According to the notification from the Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism, Sports, Culture, Archaeology, and Museum Department, the permit fee for foreign climbers to scale K2 has been raised to $5,000 for the summer season (April-September), $2,500 for autumn (October-November), and $1,500 for the winter season (December-March). Pakistani climbers will now pay Rs 100,000 in summer, Rs 50,000 in autumn, and Rs 30,000 during winter.
Trekking fees for foreign adventurers have also seen an increase, with the cost now set at $300 for the summer, $200 for autumn, and $100 for winter.
In addition to the fee changes, the notification outlines important regulations for mountaineers. Climbers are restricted to scaling one peak per permit; groups can have a maximum of 20 members. Importantly, high-altitude porters must be insured for up to Rs 2 million, while low-altitude porters will be insured for up to Rs 1 million. Environmental fees will be deposited into the Gilgit-Baltistan Adventure Tourism Account, and all briefings and debriefings for expeditions will occur at the tourism offices in the region.
Previously, during 2023 and 2024, permits for K2 were issued to groups of seven climbers at a collective fee of $12,000, with each additional climber costing $3,000. For 2025, the authorities have eliminated the group fee structure, instituting an individual permit fee of $5,000 per climber. This means a group of seven climbers that once paid $12,000 will now pay $35,000—a nearly 200% increase.
The revised fees and regulations are part of the government’s efforts to streamline mountaineering operations in Gilgit-Baltistan and are effective immediately.
Karachi
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