Why Mount Everest is Set to Have the Highest Number of Climbers Ever this Spring

Spring is regarded as the best time to climb Mount Everest, although some climbers prefer the autumn season. The peak climbing season happens from April to May. After mid-May the temperatures get warmer and the jet stream, which is high-altitude winds tend to have moved away from the mountains.

Nepal has issued a record 454 permits for climbing Mount Everest this spring. There are concerns that the high number of climbers could cause traffic and bottlenecks en route to the summit. The number of permits granted this season is the highest ever witnessed for climbers to Mount Everest, with the potential for even more permits to be granted in the coming weeks.

More than 900 climbers are expected to head to the summit of Everest this season, with a majority attempting the climb with the help of a Nepali guide.  According to CNN, American and Chinese mountaineers top the list. Some 367 male and 96 female climbers from 65 countries have received permission so far to scale the tallest mountain in the world from Nepal’s side.

The climbers start by spending nearly two weeks hiking to the Everest base camp, which sits at an altitude of around 17,000 feet.  They then spend about two weeks adjusting to the altitude and waiting on good weather conditions before continuing for another four days, reaching other camps and finally ascending to the summit. 

The more than 460 climbers who have received permission to climb this spring will be accompanied by more than 1,500 Nepali Sherpas and other staff at the base camp and above. To avoid overcrowding, Nepali authorities say they are setting up more than one rope wherever possible.

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Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks, and foreign climbers who flock to its mountains are a major source of revenue for the country.