Nepal’s mountaineering industry gets its richest prize yet
New $30,000 award aims to honour contributions to Himalayan communities and mountain tourism, underscoring the sector’s growing global profile
Le Zhao, Vice President of the Chinese outdoor brand Pelliot, and Sudarshan Nepal, President of Everest Alliance Nepal, sign an agreement to establish the award during the recent Everest Summiteers Summit in Kathmandu.
PC: Everest Alliance
A new $30,000 award has been established to recognise individuals and organisations contributing to Nepal's mountaineering industry and the welfare of Himalayan communities, reflecting the growing commercial and international interest in the country's mountain economy.
The prize, jointly created by Everest Alliance Nepal and China's GoNature Outdoor Sports Group, was announced during the Everest Summiteers Summit in Kathmandu. A memorandum of understanding was signed by Zhao Le, vice-president of the Chinese outdoor brand Pelliot, and Sudarshan Nepal, president of Everest Alliance Nepal.
With a total purse of $30,000 (about NPR 4.6m), the award is the largest yet created in Nepal's mountaineering sector. The fund will be divided into three prizes of $10,000 each, awarded to either individuals or institutions.
Organisers say a five-member international jury, including one Nepali expert, will oversee the selection process. The inaugural awards are scheduled to be presented at the third Everest Summiteers Summit in 2027.
The size of the prize highlights the increasing prominence of mountaineering as both an economic sector and a source of international prestige for Nepal. Although the country is home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks and attracts thousands of climbers each year, formal recognition for contributions to the industry has remained modest.
The International Everest Award, conferred annually by the Nepalese government on International Everest Day, carries a cash prize of only NPR 100,000.
Fur Gelje Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, described the new initiative as the most significant award yet established in the country's mountain tourism sector.
The announcement came during the Everest Summiteers Summit 2026, which marked the 73rd anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa on May 29th 1953.
More than 176 climbers from 26 countries gathered in Kathmandu for the event, which was inaugurated by President Ramchandra Paudel.
