Spring Everest Climbing Season Begins, 421 Climbers Aim for the Summit

The spring climbing season for Mt. Sagarmatha (Everest) officially commenced on Friday after a seven-member Sherpa team from ATK Expedition Company successfully fixed ropes to the summit, opening the route for climbers.

Just a day earlier, five Sherpas from the same company had secured routes to the summits of Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Ama Dablam, paving the way for expeditions to those peaks as well.

With the rope-fixing completed, the Department of Tourism has declared the start of the Everest expedition season. Department Director Leeladhar Awasthi confirmed that climbing activities are now underway, and that the first window—spanning the next few days—could witness the highest number of summit attempts due to favorable weather conditions.

ATK Expedition’s Managing Director, renowned climber Lakpa Sherpa, stated that the period from May 11 to May 14 is expected to be the peak climbing window, as current weather forecasts remain favorable for summit attempts.

This season includes several high-profile climbers seeking to set new records. Among them is Kami Rita Sherpa, who is poised to break his own world record by summiting Everest for the 31st time. Another record-seeker, Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa, aims to summit Everest four times within 20 days, a feat never accomplished before. Additionally, Sanu Sherpa, already a record-holder, plans to climb multiple peaks above 8,000 meters once again, targeting a third consecutive record-breaking round.

Climbers have received 75-day permits from Nepal’s Department of Tourism, although the average Everest expedition typically lasts about 40 days.

According to the latest data from the Mountaineering Branch of the Department, a total of 421 climbers from 44 teams have obtained permits for Everest this season.