Chinese climbers get bulk of Everest permits as Nepal issues record 454 for season
- Climbers from China issued with 96 of the passes issued, US climbers get next most with 87
- Overcrowding blamed for deaths 4 years ago when a long queue on Everest forced teams to wait hours in freezing temperatures
Nepal has issued a record 454 permits to climb Mount Everest this spring, officials said on Monday, four years after at least four deaths on the world’s highest peak were blamed on overcrowding.
Bigyan Koirala from the tourism department said it was the “highest number of permits” the department had issued, and added that numbers could rise further.
As most of these mountaineers will attempt to summit Everest with the help of a Nepali guide, more than 900 climbers will be heading for the summit in the next few weeks.
This could cause heavy traffic and bottlenecks en route to the summit if there is a shorter window period to reach it because of unfavourable weather.
In 2019, a long queue on Everest forced teams to wait hours in freezing temperatures, lowering depleted oxygen levels that can lead to sickness and exhaustion.
At least four of 11 deaths that year were blamed on overcrowding.