The Government of Gilgit-Baltistan has increased the K2 permit and trekking fees for international climbers. 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). The new K2 permit fees are Rs100,000 for the summer season, Rs50,000 for autumn, and Rs 30,000 for winter for Pakistani alpinists.
The trekking fees for foreigners have increased, and new price is $300 for the summer season, $200 for autumn, and $100 for winter.
The new restrictions also include several critical points, climbers can only submit one peak per permit, groups are limited to 20 individuals, and high-altitude porters must now have insurance coverage of up to Rs2 million.
Low-altitude porters will be insured up to Rs1 million. Environmental fees will be placed into the GB Adventure Tourism Account, and all expedition briefings and debriefings will take place at Gilgit-Baltistan’s tourism offices.
In 2023 and 2024, K2 climbing permits were issued collectively for group of seven climbers at a rate of $12,000. Each additional climber incurred an extra $3,000 fee. Gilgit-Baltistan authorities have eliminated the collective fee in favour of an individual royalty of $5,000 per climber beginning in 2025. As a result, a group of seven climbers who paid $12,000 this year will face a $35,000 fee in 2025, representing nearly a 200% increase.
These amended fees and rules are intended to streamline mountaineering activities in the region and will take effect immediately.
