Neerja Birla, a prominent member of India's Aditya Birla Group, is set to attempt Mount Lobuche Peak in Everest region, joining a growing list of ultra-rich seeking to conquer peaks in Nepal's Himalayas. Birla, 52, has completed acclimatization and is waiting to climb the peak early next week, according to Mingma Sherpa, Chairman at Seven Summit Treks. 

Sherpa will personally lead the expedition, which includes around twelve seasoned climbers, among them IFMGA guide Dawa Phinjo Lama Bhote and Indian climber Arjun Vajpai, accompanied by numerous support staff. This is a notably sizable team for the relatively modest Lobuche Peak (6145m), commonly used by climbers for acclimatization before tackling taller summits in the Khumbu region.

Birla’s climb adds her to the growing list of wealthy individuals drawn to Nepal's Himalayas. While other smaller peaks also hold a degree of allure, there is a particularly strong attraction to Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain. Commercial expeditions are now increasingly accommodating individuals with all ranges of climbing experience, and most of them want to climb Everest.

In recent years, several rich and powerful people have climbed Everest. In 2023, US-based Vietnamese billionaire Chinh Chu, founder and CEO of CC Capital, climbed Mount Everest. Also in 2023, Richard Walker, executive chairman of the retail store Iceland, summited Mount Everest. Singer-songwriter Mike Posner reached the summit of Everest in 2021. In the realm of the rich and powerful, royalty is not far behind. In 2021, Prince Mohammed Hamad Mohammed Al Khalifa of Bahrain led a team of royal guards on an Everest expedition. Sheikha Asma Al Thani, Qatari mountaineer and member of the ruling family of Qatar, became the first Qatari woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Prior to her, Qatari Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Thani achieved this feat on May 22, 2013, becoming the first person from his country to reach the summit.

Mountaineering history, particularly Everest expedition, is intertwined with tales of grandeur and opulence. From George Mallory's pioneering expedition that spanned nearly a year and employed hundreds of support personnel, to the legendary triumph of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, whose successful summit in 1953 captured the world's imagination, mountaineering is more often than not a pursuit of the privileged few. 

In recent times, organizing expeditions to Everest has become much easier, requiring less time, effort, and money with improved infrastructure, trained staff, and ease of transportation.

But climbing remains prohibitively expensive, often out of reach for the average person unless they're a guide or have sponsorship or support. For example, climbing Everest comes with a hefty price tag. The permit, or royalty fee alone, amounts to a staggering USD 11,000, while the total cost including expedition agency service charge, gear and equipment, and various fees set by local agencies in Khumbu, can range from a minimum of USD 40,000 to USD 100,000 depending on the level of service.

Mingma Sherpa, the operator of Seven Summit Treks, which also provided services to Vietnamese billionaire Chinh Chu last year and Bahraini climbers, remarked that it was beneficial for the agency to have high-profile clients and also for the overall tourism industry. "It also presents an opportunity for us to showcase our capability in catering to all types of climbers," said Sherpa.

In response to the increasing interest from the super-rich, expedition operators like Seven Summit offer deluxe and VIP services at premium rates. These services include unlimited helicopter flights, five-star dining with a personal butler, access to television and internet, ample support staff, and unlimited oxygen supply. In some instances, some agencies have also exploited loopholes in the system by arranging airdrops to and from Base Camp to Camp II, bypassing the hazardous Khumbu Icefall section. There have been environmental concerns due to increased human activity in the base camp and even speculation of shifting the base camp in the past to protect the snow.

There is a growing fear that the influx of wealthy climbers and the array of luxurious services they demand could further escalate the cost of mountaineering. Insiders revealed that wealthy clients typically pay several times more than the industry average, leading agencies to assign several of their highly skilled manpower to cater to just one client, often leaving regular climbers with novice or unskilled workers. A prominent guide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there often is a shortage of highly skilled manpower, noting that even big agencies resort to hiring newbies or villagers for wages as low as 400,000 per season in Everest.

Rishi Bhandari, General Secretary of the Operators' Association, said that there is a growing interest among the wealthy to climb peaks like Everest for fame. However, the majority of climbers still come from the middle class, who either save money or seek sponsorship to afford the climb. He said that the sheer passion for climbing and the desire for recognition entice many to attempt peaks like Everest despite soaring cost.

"We should be able to provide tailored services, but our focus should be on making it affordable for everyone, as most climbers come from ordinary backgrounds and fund the climb themselves," said Bhandari.