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Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Queue at the top of world: Climbers wait to reach top of Mount Everest
Hundreds of climbers have been captured in striking images queuing to reach the summit of the highest mountain in the world. Photographs taken from the snowy mountain showed adventurers in their orange protective gear forming a snaking queue to the peak on May 18. The long line of climbers wound from Camp 4 to the summit, with the brave climbers huddling in the high winds. One image even captured a group of five taking a selfie in their thick winter coats, ski masks and goggles. 'It started out a little blustery, but the winds abated by midday when we reached Camp 3,' American mountaineer, guide and expedition leader Garrett Madison reported. 'Forecasts are challenging, [but] our summit itinerary stays,' a Brazilian team wrote from Camp 2. It estimated summiting on May 22. In May last year, experts feared overcrowding on the world's highest mountain may have played a role in causing the collapse of a cornice - an overhanging mass of hardened snow on the edge of a precipice - which led to the disappearance of Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and Pastenji Sherpa, 23. The pair had not been heard from since they reached the summit and were feared dead. It comes as Nepal's mountaineering community celebrated the conquest of Mount Everest with a rally of climbers, guides and others who gathered for International Everest Day. The event Thursday marked the 72nd anniversary of the first summit climb of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay. Nepal's minister for culture and tourism led the celebration in the capital, Kathmandu, that included a walk around the city and a gathering at the old palace. 'We are celebrating May 29 as the international Sagarmatha (Everest) day because the world needs to continue to recognise the achievement and contribution of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay,' said Ang Tshering, who runs Kathmandu-based Asian Trekking. The event was not just a celebration for the mountaineering community but also a festival for Nepal and the world, said Tshering, who has helped hundreds of clients scale the Himalayan peaks. Nepal contains eight of the highest peaks in the world and every year hundreds of foreign climbers fly to the country in South Asia to tackle the mountains. The climbers hire thousands of people in Nepal to assist their climbs by carrying gear, cooking food and generally taking care of them as they spend weeks in the mountains. Nepal's government collects money from the climbers through permit fees. The end of May also marks the end of the popular spring mountaineering season, when climbers finish their adventures and retreat from the peaks before the monsoon season brings foul weather. 'This day is celebrated also to mark the end of the climbing season where we gather climbers and the community,' Jiban Ghimire of Shangri-La Nepal Trek said. According to Nepal's Department of Mountaineering, 468 foreign climbers from 57 countries received permits to climb Everest by the end of May, along with a roughly equal number of Nepalese mountain guides. Many were able to scale the peak, but officials were still working to verify how many reached the 29,032ft summit.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
The queue at the top of the world: Dozens of climbers wait for their turn to reach the top of Mount Everest in human traffic jam
Hundreds of climbers have been captured in striking images queuing to reach the summit of the highest mountain in the world. Photographs taken from the snowy mountain showed adventurers in their orange protective gear forming a snaking queue to the peak on May 18. The long line of climbers wound from Camp 4 to the summit, with the brave climbers huddling in the high winds. 'According to the Department of Tourism, over 500 climbers, including Sherpa guides, have successfully summited Everest so far this spring season,' the Everest Chronicle reported. Many more climbers continued on throughout the rest of last week. Stunning photographs of the queues of climbers saw the white snow-capped mountains dotted with bodies as a white mist hovered overhead. One image even captured a group of five taking a selfie in their thick winter coats, ski masks and goggles. 'It started out a little blustery, but the winds abated by midday when we reached Camp 3,' American mountaineer, guide and expedition leader Garrett Madison reported. 'Forecasts are challenging, [but] our summit itinerary stays,' a Brazilian team wrote from Camp 2. It estimated summiting on May 22. In May last year, experts feared overcrowding on the world's highest mountain may have played a role in causing the collapse of a cornice - an overhanging mass of hardened snow on the edge of a precipice - which led to the disappearance of Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and Pastenji Sherpa, 23. The pair had not been heard from since they reached the summit and were feared dead. It comes as Nepal's mountaineering community celebrated the conquest of Mount Everest with a rally of climbers, guides and others who gathered for International Everest Day. The event Thursday marked the 72nd anniversary of the first summit climb of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay. Nepal's minister for culture and tourism led the celebration in the capital, Kathmandu, that included a walk around the city and a gathering at the old palace. 'We are celebrating May 29 as the international Sagarmatha (Everest) day because the world needs to continue to recognise the achievement and contribution of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay,' said Ang Tshering, who runs Kathmandu-based Asian Trekking. The event was not just a celebration for the mountaineering community but also a festival for Nepal and the world, said Tshering, who has helped hundreds of clients scale the Himalayan peaks. Oxygen cylinders are kept on a slope on the way to the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal, May 18, 2025 Nepal contains eight of the highest peaks in the world and every year hundreds of foreign climbers fly to the country in South Asia to tackle the mountains. The climbers hire thousands of people in Nepal to assist their climbs by carrying gear, cooking food and generally taking care of them as they spend weeks in the mountains. Nepal's government collects money from the climbers through permit fees. The end of May also marks the end of the popular spring mountaineering season, when climbers finish their adventures and retreat from the peaks before the monsoon season brings foul weather. 'This day is celebrated also to mark the end of the climbing season where we gather climbers and the community,' Jiban Ghimire of Shangri-La Nepal Trek said. According to Nepal's Department of Mountaineering, 468 foreign climbers from 57 countries received permits to climb Everest by the end of May, along with a roughly equal number of Nepalese mountain guides. Many were able to scale the peak, but officials were still working to verify how many reached the 29,032ft summit. Climbers must report to the department with proof they reached the summit and cleared their garbage before they are issued the official certificate. Famed Sherpa guide Kami Rita reached the Everest summit for the 31st time Tuesday, breaking his own record for the most climbs to the top of the famed mountain.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Climbing Mt. Everest Just Got Harder—Nepal Plans Crackdown Amidst Overcrowding, Deaths
If you want to climb the world's tallest mountain, Nepal wants to see your résumé first. Turns out experience matters and for Nepal it looks like 7,000 meters. In a bold move aimed at improving safety and reducing the deadly traffic jams on Mount Everest, Nepal is drafting a new law that would require climbers to first summit at least one 7,000-meter (22,965 ft) peak within the country before receiving a permit for Everest. The law, which has been submitted to the National Assembly where the ruling coalition holds a majority, marks the toughest restriction yet on who can attempt the 8,849-meter (29,032 ft) proposed rule is a response to mounting criticism over overcrowding on the mountain. We've all seen the long lines leading to Mt. Everest. This is especially true in the notorious 'Death Zone' near the summit, where the lack of oxygen and long delays have proved fatal, leaving hikers to die numb from frostbite in the subzero conditions. In 2023 alone, Nepal issued 478 Everest permits, and at least 12 climbers died while five more went missing. That's an increase from eight in the previous year. Under the draft law, permits would only be issued to climbers who can show proof of a successful summit of a 7,000-meter peak in Nepal. Additionally, both the expedition's sardar (head of local staff) and its mountain guide must be Nepali citizens — a provision already raising eyebrows in international guiding circles.' International expedition operators disagree to the new proposed law and have urged Nepal to allow any 7,000-meter peak, not just those in the Himalayan nation, for the Everest permit. Lukas Furtenbach, an Austria-based expedition organizer from Furtenbach Adventures who is currently leading an Everest expedition, told Reuters, that there simply aren't enough qualified Nepali mountain guides to meet the demand. 'What matters is that guides have top-tier credentials, like IFMGA certification — no matter where they're from," he added. Garrett Madison, founder of U.S.-based Madison Mountaineering, echoed concerns to Reuters over accessibility, arguing that requiring a Nepal-based 7,000-meter peak is too narrow. 'A 6,500-meter climb anywhere in the world would make more sense,' Madison said. Nepal is home to over 400 climbable peaks, 74 of which rise above 7,000 meters. But according to officials, very few of those are popular with climbers. 'Only a handful of the 7,000-meter mountains actually attract expeditions,' said Tashi Lhakpa Sherpa of the 14 Peaks Expedition, who has summited Everest eight times. Still, the intent behind the legislation is clear: weed out unprepared climbers and prevent the kind of high-altitude gridlock that turns Everest into a life-threatening bottleneck. For those serious about reaching the Roof of the World, it's time to earn your vertical stripes first and create a life line of experience for yourself.
NDTV
29-04-2025
- NDTV
Nepal's Big Rule Change For Anyone Who Wants To Climb Mount Everest
Nepal will soon limit Mount Everest climbing permits only to the ones who have already summited at least one 7,000-metre peak in the country, according to a new draft law aimed at improving safety and reducing overcrowding. The proposed law, part of the Integrated Tourism Bill, has been registered in the upper house of Parliament. The ruling alliance holds a majority and is expected to pass it, Reuters reported. Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, has faced criticism for allowing too many inexperienced climbers on Everest. In 2023, the country issued 478 permits. At least 12 climbers died and five went missing. In 2022, eight climbers died. Many of these deaths happened in the 'death zone' near the summit, where oxygen is low and queues are common. Under the proposed rules: Climbers must show proof of scaling a 7,000-metre (22,965 ft) mountain in Nepal before applying for an Everest permit. The sardar (head of local staff) and mountain guide must be Nepali citizens. Medical certificates from government-approved hospitals, issued within the last month, will be required. Climbers must declare in advance if they are attempting a record. Permits will not be transferable. If an expedition is cancelled due to natural disasters or other events, the permit will remain valid for two years but will not be refunded. Permit fees will also rise by 36 per cent, from Pound 8,249 (over Rs 9.4 lakh) to Pound 11,248 (over Rs 12.8 lakh) - the first hike in almost 10 years. The 2025 climbing season has started, and the country has issued 402 permits so far. The number is expected to exceed 500 in May. Nepal earns significant foreign exchange from Everest expeditions. Climbers spend thousands more on local logistics, porters, Sherpas, and gear. But with more climbers on the slopes, Everest has also seen a surge in garbage, human waste, and environmental degradation. The new rules aim to tackle these issues by ensuring only experienced climbers attempt Everest, reducing the need for risky and costly rescue operations. International expedition operators have objected to limiting qualifying climbs to Nepal only. Lukas Furtenbach of Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures, currently leading an Everest expedition, said they didn't have enough qualified Nepali guides. "That wouldn't make any sense. And I would also add mountains that are close to 7,000 metres to that list and that are widely used as preparation, like Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Denali and others," he told Reuters. "It's too difficult to find a reasonable 7,000-metre plus peak in Nepal," Garrett Madison of US-based Madison Mountaineering said, adding that a 6,500-metre peak anywhere in the world should be accepted. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
