Foreign climbers have been given a boost by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF), the governing body that grants permissions for climbing in the Himalaya. The 'peakfees' for climbing in the Indian Himalaya for foreign climbers havebeen substantially lowered for the 2017 climbing season. According to the new guidelines, foreign expeditionswill have to pay $300 for a party of 2 members for peaks below 6,500m, down from $500. For peaks between 6,501m and 7,000m, this amount is $500, down from $700. For peaks above 7,000m, this amount is $800, down from $1,000. There are a total of 63 peaks below 6,500m in J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand where foreign expeditions are allowed to climb 16 peaks below 7,000m and 2 peaks above 7,000m.For more information, visit indmount.org.