Nepal to lease Himalayan peaks

Nepal is considering a plan to lease Himalayan peaks to private tourism companies, an official said Tuesday, in a bid to ease traffic on Mount Everest and help jumpstart the economy. The proposal would involve hiring out some of the 326 Himalayan peaks that are currently open, in an attempt to lure climbers away from the main drawcard of Everest amid fears of congestion. It one of several new measures -- including lower mountaineering fees -- designed to attract more climbers to the impoverished country, which counts tourism as a key revenue earner. "We have begun discussion on leasing unclimbed peaks to the private sector, to promote these mountains as new tourism products," Mohan Krishna Sapkota, spokesman for the tourism ministry said, according to AFP.