Uttarakhand opens 83 Himalayan peaks, including Nanda Devi, for mountaineering

With an aim to boost adventure tourism, Uttarakhand on Tuesday (February 3, 2026) announced to open 83 major Himalayan peaks for mountaineering expeditions. The newly opened peaks range in altitude from 5,700 metres to 7,756 metres and include some of the world’s most renowned and challenging summits such as Mount Kamet (7,756 m), Nanda Devi East, the Chaukhamba and Trishul groups, Shivling, Satopanth, Changabang, Panchachuli and Neelkanth.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that these peaks are celebrated not only for their technical difficulty but also for their breathtaking natural beauty and symbolic representation of the grandeur of the Himalayas which are central to Uttarakhand’s identity, heritage and strength.

He described the decision to open 83 major peaks as a historic initiative to give global recognition to the State’s adventure tourism potential.

“The government aims to encourage Indian youth to take up mountaineering, generate local employment and ensure balanced development with a strong focus on environmental conservation. The State has reaffirmed its commitment to safe, responsible and sustainable mountaineering,” he said.

Providing relief for Indian mountaineers, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council (UTDB), also waived off expedition-related charges such as peak fees, camping fees or environmental fees for these 83 notified peaks. Earlier collected by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) and the Forest Department, these costs will now be borne by the state government, removing financial barriers for aspiring young climbers, a communique from the government said.

For foreign mountaineers, all additional state-level fees have been abolished and they will now only have to pay fees prescribed by the IMF.

From now onwards, all expedition applications will be processed through the Uttarakhand Mountaineering Permission System (UKMPS), a transparent and fully digital online portal designed to ensure faster approvals.

Notably, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Union Budget 2026–27, has announced the development of eco-friendly mountain trails in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, further reinforcing India’s push to become a world-class trekking and adventure tourism destination.