May 21, 2026, 3:27 p.mMay 21, 2026, 3:28 p.m
New daily record: On the Nepalese side of Mount Everest, 269 climbers reached the summit of the highest mountain on earth in one day.
A new record has been set on Mount Everest.Image: keystone
“On the Nepalese side, the previous daily record was 223 ascents on May 22, 2019,” said Khimlal Gautam from the tourism department of the Ministry of Culture. “This record has been broken.” The official heads the department’s field office at the base camp of the 8,849 meter high Everest.
The mountaineers from all over the world and the mountain guides took advantage of the favorable weather conditions for the final climb on Wednesday. According to Gautam, all climbers who were participants in various expeditions made it to the top within 11 hours.
queue of people
Given the rush, the route was crowded in the last few meters to the summit. According to Gautam, at one point a queue formed at the resting point called the “balcony” at an altitude of around 8,400 meters up to the summit. However, a traffic jam due to the large crowds was not unusual.
Including the mountain guides, 600 people have reached the top of the mountain so far this season, said Gautam. According to authorities, this time Nepal had issued more permits than ever before to climb Mount Everest in the main season. By mid-May, 494 permits had been issued for climbers from 55 countries.
According to Nepalese media reports, one reason for the record number is the fact that China does not allow the climb to Everest from the Tibetan side.
Three deaths
So far this season, three mountaineers from Nepal have died on Everest. On Monday last week, according to local media reports, a 21-year-old from the Himalayan state died when he fell into a crevasse. He was in a group that was supposed to prepare the route for mountaineers from all over the world.
Another Nepalese died on May 10 during the climb. The cause of death was suspected to be heart failure. According to The Himalayan Times, the death of a third Nepalese on May 4th was the result of a fall on the way to the base camp. (dab/sda/dpa)