Fees cut for Qomolangma climbers

Nepal will slash climbing fees for Mount Qomolangma in the off-season to lure mountaineers to the world's tallest peak and boost tourism hit by years of a leftist conflict, a senior minister said yesterday.

Dozens of mountaineering teams, each paying at least $70,000, go to the 8,850-meter Qomolangma summit during the main climbing season that runs from March to May.

But the giant mountain remains virtually deserted in the autumn and winter.