KATHMANDU, April 2 (Xinhua) -- As many as 63 climbers had received permits to climb the world's highest Mount Qomolangma from the Nepali side in the spring climbing season by Monday, according to Nepal's Department of Tourism.
The climbers are from four groups and include 13 women, the department said.
"This is just the beginning. More of such permits will be issued regularly," Chun Bahadur Tamang, an officer at the department, told Xinhua on Tuesday.
In addition to the 8,848.86-meter-high Mount Qomolangma which straddles Nepal and China, Nepal had also allowed 85 climbers from different countries and regions to climb eight other mountains inside the country during the spring season.
Through issuing climbing permits, the Nepali government had collected a total of 793,850 U.S. dollars in royalty fees by Monday, including 693,000 dollars over Mount Qomolangma, the department said. ■
