Mountaineering history was created this year as nearly 274 climbers successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest via the Nepal route on Wednesday. The record climb came after the spring climbing season was delayed due to a massive ice formation blocking the route for an extended period.
New record set
The good weather conditions on Wednesday finally allowed all the Everest aspirants to attempt the summit, according to Tourism department official, Khimlal Gautam, per Everest Chronicle. He also added that the climbs began at 03:00 local time and continued for 11 hours.
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There has been a previous high record on May 22, 2019, where around 223 climbers scaled Mount Everest from Nepal. Additionally, 113 climbers also went via the Northern route in Tibet on the same date. This season, however, China has closed that route for foreign travellers.
This year, around 500 foreign climbers were granted permits to scale the 8,849 metre (29,032 feet) peak, which is also a record high, as experts warn mountaineers of overcrowding and other risks involved.
There have been photographs circulating all over social media where a long line of climbers has been seen conquering the snow-filled slopes. The region is also known as āthe death zoneā, as experts advise against staying in that zone for more than 20 hours. Sitting at around 8,000 m above sea-level, the climbers have to rely on supplementary oxygen to breathe at that altitude.
The boost in tourism
Shockingly, there has been a noticeable surge in tourism this year, considering the fact that the permit fees were increased last year after nearly a decade. Until August, the permit fee was around $11,000, which has increased to $15,000 (Ā£12,180) since September 2025.
Most climbers prefer to attempt the ascent with a local Nepali guide, who does not require a permit and can also provide valuable expertise. Experts, however, are worried about congestion in the mountain due to the boost in the number of climbers, to which the expedition organisers have assured that they can manage.
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"If teams carry enough oxygen, it is not a big problem," Lukas Furtenbach of the ā Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures told Reuters news agency. Thousands of climbers climb the summit of the Alps each day, "So 274 is actually not a big number, considering this mountain is 10 times biggerā, he added.
