KATHMANDU: A record 274 climbers scaled Mount Everest from the Nepali side on Wednesday, the highest number ever recorded in a single day on the world’s tallest peak.
Rishi Bhandari, secretary general of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, said the figure surpassed the previous record of 223 ascents recorded on May 22, 2019.
“This is the highest number of climbers in a single day so far,” Bhandari said, adding the total could still rise as some climbers had yet to report their successful ascents to base camp.
Mount Everest, which stands at 8,849 metres on the border between Nepal and China’s Tibet region, was climbed only from the Nepali side this year after Chinese authorities reportedly did not issue permits for expeditions from Tibet.
Department of Tourism official Himal Gautam said preliminary information indicated that more than 250 climbers reached the summit on Wednesday, although final confirmation would only be made after climbers submitted photographs and other proof of their ascent.
Nepal has issued 494 Everest climbing permits this year, each costing US$15,000, while mountaineering experts have continued to criticise the large number of climbers allowed on the mountain due to congestion risks in the “death zone” below the summit.
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The Nepali authorities have acknowledged concerns over overcrowding and inexperienced climbers by introducing tighter controls and higher climbing fees.
