K2 permit and trekking fee hiked for international climbers

The Government of Gilgit-Baltistan has issued a notification detailing new fees for mountaineering and trekking permits, including a significant hike in the cost of permits for climbing K2.

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 set at $5,000 for the summer season (April-September), $2,500 for autumn (October-November), and $1,500 for the winter season (December-March).

For Pakistani climbers, the new K2 permit fees are Rs100,000 for the summer season, Rs50,000 for autumn, and Rs 30,000 for winter.

The notification also specifies several important regulations: climbers can only scale one peak per permit, groups are limited to a maximum of 20 members, and high-altitude porters must now be insured for up to Rs2 million.

Low-altitude porters will be insured for up to Rs1 million. Environmental fees are to be deposited into the GB Adventure Tourism Account, and all expedition briefings and debriefings will be conducted at the tourism offices in Gilgit-Baltistan.

During 2023 and 2024, K2 climbing permits were granted collectively to groups of seven climbers at $12,000.

Each additional climber cost an extra $3,000. For 2025, Gilgit-Baltistan authorities have got rid of the collective fee and established an individual royalty of $5,000 per climber.

A group of seven climbers that paid $12,000 this year will therefore pay $35,000 in 2025. That’s nearly a 200% increase.

The revised fees and regulations are aimed at streamlining mountaineering operations in the region and are set to take effect immediately.