Record 274 Climbers Summit Mount Everest in Single Day

A record 274 climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest on Wednesday from the Nepali side, setting the highest number of successful ascents ever recorded in a single day from Nepal, according to officials and expedition organisers.

The milestone surpassed the previous Nepali-side record of 223 climbers set on May 22, 2019, according to Nepal’s Expedition Operators Association. The overall record for ascents from both the Nepal and Tibet routes remains 354 climbers, achieved on May 23, 2019, according to Guinness World Records.

This year’s spring climbing season had a delayed start after a massive block of ice obstructed part of the summit route. However, favourable weather conditions on Wednesday encouraged hundreds of climbers to make their summit attempts.

Tourism department official Khimlal Gautam said climbers began their ascent around 03:00 local time, with summit attempts continuing for nearly 11 hours.

Department of Tourism official Himal Gautam said authorities had received preliminary information indicating that more than 250 climbers had successfully reached the summit.

“We wait for climbers to return, give us photographs and other evidence to prove their ascents and provide them with climbing certificates,” Gautam told reporters. “Only then we will be able to confirm the numbers.”

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The 8,849-metre peak, located on the border between Nepal and China’s Tibet region, is usually climbed from both the southern Nepali side and the northern Tibetan route. However, expedition operators said there were no climbers on the Tibetan side this season because Chinese authorities had not issued permits.

Rishi Bhandari described Wednesday’s achievement as unprecedented for the Nepali route.

“This is the highest number of climbers in a single day so far,” Bhandari told reporter, adding that the final number could still increase because some climbers had not yet reported their successful ascents to the base camp.

Overcrowding Concerns Return To Focus

Nepal issued a record 494 permits for Everest expeditions this season, each costing $15,000 after a fee increase introduced last year. The permit fee had remained unchanged at $11,000 for nearly a decade before the recent revision.

Most foreign climbers attempt the ascent with at least one Nepali guide, who does not require a separate permit. Experts estimate that nearly 100 climbers usually attempt Everest from the Tibetan side during a normal climbing season, though that route remained closed this year.

The growing number of climbers has once again intensified concerns over overcrowding on Everest, particularly in the so-called “death zone” above 8,000 metres, where oxygen levels are dangerously low for human survival.

Photographs circulating on social media this week showed long queues of climbers stretching across narrow snowy ridges near the summit. Most climbers rely on supplemental oxygen in the death zone, and mountaineering experts warn that remaining there for extended periods significantly increases the risk of altitude sickness, exhaustion and fatal accidents.

Nepal has faced criticism in recent years for allowing large numbers of climbers on the mountain, with some experts arguing that congestion on summit routes creates dangerous bottlenecks and increases safety risks.

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Authorities have acknowledged concerns related to overcrowding and inexperienced climbers, introducing tighter regulations alongside higher permit fees in an effort to improve safety management on the mountain.

Expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach said overcrowding could be managed if teams were properly prepared and equipped with sufficient oxygen supplies.

“All our teams are behind the big crowd so we were not affected by that,” Furtenbach said from Everest Base Camp.

“If teams carry enough oxygen it is not a big problem,” Furtenbach said. “We have mountains in the Alps like the Zugspitze where we have 4,000 persons on top per day. So 274 is actually not a big number, considering this mountain is 10 times bigger."

Climbers Achieve Milestones amid Fatalities

The current climbing season has also seen several notable achievements. Veteran Nepali guide Kami Rita Sherpa extended his own world record by summiting Everest for the 32nd time earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Lhakpa Sherpa, widely known as the “Mountain Queen”, completed her 11th Everest summit, setting a personal record for the most ascents by a female climber.

Russian climber Rustam Nabiev, a double-leg amputee, also drew international attention after reaching the summit without using prosthetic legs.

Despite the record-breaking numbers and personal milestones, the season has also been marked by several fatalities.

Among those who died was Bijay Ghimere, the first mountaineer from Nepal’s underprivileged Hindu Dalit community to summit Everest. Reports said the 35-year-old suffered from altitude sickness.

Another climber, Phura Gyaljen Sherpa, died after slipping on snow and falling into a crevasse near Camp 3 earlier this week. Veteran guide Lakpa Dendi Sherpa also died while travelling to Everest Base Camp on May 3.

The latest record underlines Everest’s growing popularity despite rising expedition costs, ongoing safety concerns and repeated warnings from mountaineering experts about overcrowding on the world’s highest peak.