Kathmandu, Nepal – Hundreds of climbers reached Mount Everest’s summit from Nepal side in a single day, setting a record with 274 successful ascents, officials said Thursday. The climbers took advantage of clear weather on Wednesday, according to Rishi Ram Bhandari of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal.
The number could rise as some who reached the summit might not have informed base camp about their feats yet. Everest can be scaled from either its Nepali side or northern face in China’s Tibet. On May 22, 2019, Nepal’s side had 223 and the Chinese side had 113 climbers on the summit. However, Chinese authorities closed the route this year.
Veteran mountain guide Kami Rita Sherpa scaled the peak for the 32nd time, breaking his own record. His closest competitor, Pasang Dawa Sherpa, scaled the peak for the 30th time this week. Lakpa Sherpa scaled Everest for the 11th time, topping her own record for the highest number by a female climber.
This year’s climbing season began late due to the risk from a huge serac hanging over the key route to the summit. Around 494 climbers and an equal number of their Sherpa guides are expected to attempt scaling the 29,032-foot mountain by the end of this month when the climbing season on the peak ends.
Mountaineering experts often criticize Nepal for letting many people try to scale Everest at the same time, which can produce risky congestion. As a result, Nepal has imposed tighter controls and higher fees. Thousands have climbed the peak since it was first scaled on May 29, 1953, by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.