{"id":13555,"date":"2026-05-21T22:04:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T22:04:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=13555"},"modified":"2026-05-21T22:04:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T22:04:28","slug":"274-people-climbed-everest-this-week-and-nobody-died","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=13555","title":{"rendered":"274 People Climbed Everest This Week and Nobody Died"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Updated May 21, 2026 03:52PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Hundreds of climbers were descending the flanks of Mount Everest on Thursday, May 21, after a historic number reached the summit earlier in the week.<\/p>\n

Taking advantage of calm and clear conditions on the peak\u2019s upper slopes, more than 500 climbers reached the top between Monday, May 19, and Thursday, May 21. The summit bonanza peaked on Wednesday, May 20,\u00a0when 274 summited, according to Nepal\u2019s Department of Tourism.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom 3 A.M. to 2 P.M. the summit climb went on for 11 hours. It is historic from the Nepal side,\u201d Khimlal Gautam, chief of Nepal\u2019s Department of Tourism\u2019s Everest field office, told the website<\/a>\u00a0Everest Chronicle.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The crowd size on May 20 represented a milestone in Everest history. It was the largest number of climbers coming from the Nepal side to reach the summit on the same day. In 2019, 354 climbers summited Everest on May 23, however the climbers ascended the peak from both the Nepal and Tibet sides.<\/p>\n

A still image from a drone video showing climbers on the Lhotse Face on their way to Everest <\/span> (Photo: Everest Live)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Thursday, May 21, an additional 150 reached the top.<\/p>\n

Outside<\/em> reporter Ben Ayers, who is stationed at Mount Everest Base Camp this spring, followed the summits and descents via the official radio channels used by Everest guides. Ayers said that there were no reported deaths or major injuries amid the summit push between May 20 and 21.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen some cases of frostbite but no major injuries reported,\u201d Ayers said.<\/p>\n

Three people have died on Mount Everest so far during the 2026 season\u2014all three were Nepali mountain workers who were there to guide clients or to help build camps and infrastructure on the mountain. Lakpa Dende Sherpa, 52, died on May 3 while trekking to Base Camp. Bijaya Bishwakarma, 35, died on May 10 while climbing through the Khumbu Icefall. Phura Gyaljen Sherpa, 20, died on May 11 after slipping and falling on the Lhotse Face.<\/p>\n

With clear skies forecasted for the rest of the week, experts expect more big crowds to reach the top on Friday, May 22, and Saturday, May 23. This year Nepal issued a record 494 permits to climb Everest. Permitted climbers usually ascend with a guide and helpers, placing the total number of people on the mountain at approximately double.<\/p>\n

Summit Success Despite a Historic Delay<\/h2>\n

The massive waves of climbers reaching the summit represented a huge success story for the Everest guiding industry, which faced uncertainty on the peak earlier in the spring climbing season. Traditionally, climbers flock to Everest in late April and begin climbing the peak in early May. But in 2026, dangers in the Khumbu Glacier at the foot of Everest prevented mountain workers from completing the route up the peak.<\/p>\n

Route builders encountered massive towers of ice near the top of the Khumbu Icefall, the 2,000-foot wall of ice that marks the first leg of the Everest climb. Believing the towers of ice would fall on their own, the workers waited for more than two weeks, causing a delay in the climbing schedule. As the days went by without completion of the route, guides and climbers in Base Camp became anxious that the setback could spell disaster for the season.<\/p>\n

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A still image from a drone video showing climbers on the Lhotse Face on their way to Everest <\/span> (Photo: Everest Live)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re starting to get worried,\u201d Daniel Mazur, an American guide with the outfitter Summit Climb, told Outside <\/em>on April 21. \u201cWe came here to climb Everest, and we can\u2019t get on the mountain yet, and that is concerning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Workers eventually opened the route through the Khumbu Icefall on April 28, approximately two weeks later than in 2025. The first climbers reached the top of Mount Everest on May 13, and among the first to summit\u00a0were the mountain workers who affix the safety ropes on the higher slopes. They reached the top just a few days later than they had in 2025, and the successful climb opened the route for expedition operators.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe now have almost three weeks to support the record-breaking number of climbers on Mount Everest this year,\u201d said Chhang Dawa Sherpa, director of the guiding company Seven Summit Treks, on May 13. \u201cI want to thank everyone who supported these remarkable efforts this year, and I look forward to more teamwork in the future. Good luck to everyone, climb safe and safe descent!\u201d<\/p>\n

Historic Climbs and Noteworthy Summiters<\/h2>\n

Among the climbers to reach the summit in recent days are a collection of history-chasing veterans and groundbreaking newcomers.<\/p>\n

Nepali climbers Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, and Lakba Sherpa, 55, both reached the top on May 17, breaking their own records for the most successful climbs. Kami Rita Sherpa reached the top for the 32nd time while guiding for Nepali outfitter Seven Summits Treks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t climb Everest for myself or for my name,\u201d Kami Rita Sherpa told Outside. <\/em>\u201cI continue to climb for my Sherpa community, for my Nepali community, and for my country.<\/p>\n

Lakpa Sherpa,<\/strong> known within the Everest community as \u201cMountain Queen,\u201d completed her 11th ascent of Everest.<\/p>\n

Also on May 17, Polish ski mountaineer Bartez Ziemski, 37, ascended the peak and then skied all the way back down to Everest Base Camp without using supplemental oxygen. He is just the second person to ever complete that feat, behind his countryman Andrzej Bargiel, who first did it in September 2025.<\/p>\n

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