KATHMANDU - As many as 987 climbers from 105 groups have received permission to scale 26 mountains in Nepal during the spring climbing season, an official said on Friday.

The climbers include 217 females and are from 51 countries and regions, said Liladhar Awasthi, director at the Department of Tourism.

Of the total, 328 males and 74 females were permitted to climb the 8,848.86-meter Mount Qomolangma, the world's tallest peak which straddles Nepal and China.

"The flow of permit seekers is very encouraging. We're expecting more climbers than last year," Awasthi told Xinhua.

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Nepal has earned $5.01 million in royalties by issuing the permits as of Friday, including $4.35 million from Mount Qomolangma alone.

The spring climbing season in Nepal started in April and runs through May.