The Everest climbing season officially began on Friday after a team of rope-fixing climbers reached the summit of the world’s highest peak from Nepal side earlier than usual, according to media reports.
A team from 8K Expeditions successfully established the climbing route to the 8,848.86-metre summit of Mt Everest, said Himal Gautam, director at the Department of Tourism, the government body issuing climbing permits.
The Himalayan Times quoted a post by 8K Expeditions that read: “Under the coordination of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal (EOA), our elite 8K rope-fixing team successfully fixed the ropes to the top today – unlocking an early and extended summit window under stable weather conditions.
“This achievement not only marks the official start of the Everest season, but also enhances climber safety, reduces traffic, and provides greater flexibility for summit attempts in the coming days,” the post said.
The rope-fixing team that reached the summit included experienced climbers Tsering Pemba Sherpa, Ashok Lama, Pem Nurbu Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa, Karma Gyaljen Sherpa, Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa, and Pas Tenzi Sherpa.
The Everest climbing season is typically a small window in May and ends by late May, before the onset of the summer monsoon that brings dangerous weather conditions.
According to the Department of Tourism, so far, permissions have been granted to about 450 climbers from over 50 countries for climbing the highest peak in the world this spring.
Among them, 75 are Indian climbers, including 12 women, Gautam said on Monday.
The Nepal government collects a hefty royalty from the permission granted to climb Mt Everest and it amounted to Nepalese Rs 653.8 million as on Monday for this season.
Hundreds of climbers have already reached Everest’s base camp and are moving towards higher altitudes in their bid to reach the summit.
Nepal is planning to restrict expeditions to Mt Everest only to those mountaineers who have climbed at least one peak above 7,000 metres aimed at reducing deaths in the high altitude zone.
