Mount Everest has recorded its busiest climbing season ever, with more than 1,000 climbers reaching the summit in 2026, according to Nepalese officials. This surpasses the previous record of 877 successful summits set in 2019.
Khim Lal Gautam of the Nepal Tourism Office, stationed at Everest's base camp, told Outside magazine: "We had such a successful season this year; it was the largest Everest season on record." However, Himal Gautam, an official from Nepal's tourism department, told AFP that while over a thousand climbers reached the summit, "the final number will have to be verified."
Climbers and officials attribute the surge to an unusually long period of stable weather. Nepal issued a record 494 climbing permits to foreign climbers this year, the most in history. An estimated 275 people reached the summit on 21 May alone, the busiest single day of the season. This year, climbers attempted the 8,849-metre peak from the Nepal side after China closed the northern route through Tibet.
Despite at least five deaths, expedition operators have called the season a success. Ang Tshering Sherpa of Asian Trekking noted strong interest despite the war on Iran and rising travel costs. While climbers from Western countries like the US and Europe have declined, participation from Asian climbers has increased.
Concerns over environmental damage persist, with rapid glacier melting due to global warming. During a 2023 visit to Nepal, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned about the alarming rate of glacier disappearance. Earlier this year, Nepal proposed tougher rules for Everest climbers, including requiring prior summit of a Nepalese mountain over 7,000m to improve safety and reduce environmental harm.
This season, a dangerous and unstable ice block, or serac, loomed over a key section of the route, delaying climbers for over two weeks. The "icefall doctors"—specialist guides responsible for installing ropes and ladders—completed their work later than usual due to hazardous conditions.
It is estimated that over 300 people have died on Everest overall, including five in 2025 and eight in 2024. Famous Nepali guide Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, set another record by climbing Everest for the 32nd time. He first summited in 1994 and has made the trip nearly every year since. He urged Nepal to limit permits to no more than 250 climbers per season.
Meanwhile, missing Everest guide Hillary Dawa Sherpa was found and rescued near Base Camp on 4 June, nearly six days after he disappeared below Camp IV at an altitude of about 25,000 feet.
