The Permit Conundrum
Most formerly restricted areas in the Eastern Himalaya are now open to tourists, including many peaks sacred to the locals. While local and international opposition to climbing such objectives remains strong, according to the Sichuan-based climber Jon Otto, “The mountaineering associations will issue a permit to climb virtually any, if not all, the peaks in Sichuan... once the money hits the table, I would bet anything still goes.” And, as Fowler noted, “It’s all a big scam, with different mountaineering associations competing to issue permits and rip off climbers.” The alpinist Dave Anderson, for example, recalls one Chinese guide quoting him a fee of $1,500 to climb virgin peaks in the Genyen valley, and another adding the spurious charge of $1.50 per person per night as a “grassland sauce protection fee.” In most cases, permit money ends up in the pockets of corrupt Chinese officials.

On Genyen, Fowler and Boskoff likely felt that since the Chinese officials were going to grant permission for these sacred peaks anyway, they might as well be the ones to climb them, “doing it on [their] own and hiring local people,” in Fowler’s words. With Genyen, they probably figured that the previous ascents had diluted local opposition to climbing. It was telling that the parties most upset during the search were the local mountaineering associations, who had missed out on collecting lucrative fees, and not the Lenggu monks. Still, given that the Chinese allow climbers on even the most sacred peaks, it is up to the individual to decide whether to climb or not.