492 Climbers Target Everest's 8,850-Meter Summit as Unstable Ice and Higher Costs Threaten Nepal Route
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 11
492 Climbers Target Everest's 8,850-Meter Summit as Unstable Ice and Higher Costs Threaten Nepal Route
12 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 11
Around 492 climbers, backed by roughly the same number of Nepali guides, are preparing to push for Everest's summit during May's expected weather window.
A massive serac has blocked progress for more than two weeks in the Khumbu Icefall, one of the route's most dangerous sections, where shifting ice and deep crevasses already make passage hazardous.
The season is moving ahead despite higher travel costs and increased permit fees, with mountaineering officials saying demand remains solid even as the Iran war weighs on long-haul travel.
U.S. and European climber numbers have fallen, Asian participation has risen, and China's closure of the north-side route has funneled all attempts this year onto Nepal's south side.
As Nepal earns record revenue from Everest, are climbers facing unprecedented risks from climate change and mounting delays?
With the Khumbu Icefall finally open, will Everest's compressed weather window lead to a deadly traffic jam in the death zone?