In Kathmandu preparations are in full swing for the upcoming Mount Everest climbing season. Climbing companies are engaged with activity as they carefully pack essential equipment such as oxygen bottles ropes and hardware. This year there is a call of anticipation as it’s expected to be a busy season potentially setting a new attendance record.
Initial estimates from The Himalayan Times suggest that around 400 climbers will attempt to conquer Everest. However, the final numbers will only be confirmed once the season concludes. Seven Summit Treks is gearing up to lead the largest team on Everest, comprising 65 climbers along with an extensive support staff. Their efforts are particularly focused on fixing ropes from Camp 2 all the way to the summit, ensuring safe passage for climbers.
Other prominent outfitters such as 8K Expeditions, Furtenbach Adventures, and Imagine Nepal are also gearing up for the season. They are bringing varying numbers of climbers, with 8K Expeditions and Furtenbach Adventures each expecting around 45 and 40 climbers respectively. Imagine Nepal plans to divide its 35 clients into three separate groups.
Notably, Elite Exped has not disclosed its participant numbers yet. These figures pertain solely to the Nepalese side of Everest, indicating the significant interest and activity surrounding the iconic peak.
High Percentage on Mount Everest
Many pioneers achieved the remarkable accomplishment of reaching the summit of Mount Everest in 2023. Among the 656 successful summits 263 were accomplished by climbers from foreign countries while 393 were achieved by Nepalese support staff who play vital roles in facilitating the climbs.
These numbers highlight two significant points
Impressive success rates: Nepal’s Department of Tourism issued 454 climbing permits to foreign climbers. Out of these permits, 58% of climbers successfully reached the summit, showcasing a substantial achievement considering the extreme challenges and risks involved in conquering Everest.
It’s noteworthy that The Himalayan Database has changed its method and no longer conducts interviews with climbers from commercial expeditions. Instead, it relies on summit lists provided by Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation. Despite occasional instances of false summit claims on Nepalese peaks each year, these lists still offer a fairly accurate reflection of expedition success.
A significant trend observed is the rise in the number of summits achieved by local Nepalese staff. In 2023, Nepalese workers accounted for a substantial 60% of Everest summits.
Delving deeper into the spring season of the same year, it’s fascinating to note that 16 Nepalese climbers achieved the rare feat of summiting Everest twice. Most of these climbers were integral members of the rope-fixing team. After reaching the summit once to set up ropes, they repeated the climb a few days later while guiding clients. Among them, Lakpa Sona Sherpa of Imagine Nepal stood out by summiting three times: first on May 13 while fixing ropes, and then on May 17 and May 23 while guiding Chinese clients. This showcases both their remarkable skill and dedication to their profession.
Finally Chinese Side Opens
In 2023 the Chinese side of Mount Everest get no climbing attempt as per The Himalayan Database. This was due to the strict restrictions charged on foreigners following the global outburst of COVID-19 in 2020. The mountain remained unavailable to outsiders.
While climbers were unable to tackle Everest from the Chinese side, permits were granted for expeditions to neighboring peaks like Shisha Pangma and Cho Oyu. However, Everest itself remained out of reach. Notably, an international team had ambitious plans to ski down the challenging Hornbein Couloir on Everest once the rainy season subsided. Unfortunately their expedition was cut short due to unexpected governmental hurdles, preventing them from realizing their goal.
As for any attempts by Chinese expeditions to summit Everest from the North Side during that period, there’s a lack of available information to confirm or deny such endeavors.
This year marks the reopening of the North Side of Mount Everest to foreign teams, promising an increase in the number of successful summit attempts. The last time this route was accessible, in 2019, The Himalayan Database recorded 216 summits originating from China, indicating the potential for a significant surge in summit figures this time around.
Furthermore, there’s an interesting possibility that some climbers, having already conquered other 8,000-meter peaks earlier in the spring, may opt to capitalize on their acclimatization and make spontaneous decisions to join Everest expeditions. This unexpected influx of experienced climbers could further bolster the overall number of individuals striving to reach the summit of the world’s tallest peak.
No Climbing Without Oxygen this Year?
Last year, only three brave climbers managed to conquer Mount Everest without the aid of supplemental oxygen. These courageous individuals were Sajid Sadpara from Pakistan, who reached the summit on May 14th, Mateo Isaza from Colombia, who achieved the feat on May 15th, and reportedly, Muhammad Hawari Hashim from Malaysia, who conquered Everest on May 18th.
Tragically, Hashim’s triumphant ascent turned into a heartbreaking tale. Despite being assisted by a sherpa to reach the top, Hashim was allegedly abandoned at Camp 4 during the descent while the sherpa went back up to help another climber in distress. Hashim, a 22-year-old climber who was deaf, never made it back down the mountain, and his fate remains unknown.
In another sobering incident, Suhajda Szilard from Hungary attempted the climb without supplemental oxygen and without personal sherpa support. Unfortunately, Szilard’s journey ended in tragedy as he lost his life before reaching the summit of Everest.
As of now no individuals have announced their intention to climb Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen during this spring season.
It’s worth understanding that climbers who aim for an oxygen-free ascent of Everest have two options. They can choose to undertake the challenge entirely self-sufficiently, without any assistance from sherpas beyond Base Camp. Alternatively, they can opt for sherpa support, where sherpas carry their equipment, manage tasks at higher camps, and bring additional oxygen supplies in case the climbers require them or have a change of plans.
In Tibet, climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen is no longer permitted. Additionally, climbers must have the support of guides and demonstrate prior experience scaling mountains that are at least 7,000 meters high.
What’s the Weather Forecast for 2024?
Though it’s too early for a authoritative outlook meteorologist Michael Fagin discussed in a recent article the notable influence of El Niño characterized by warmer ocean temperatures off the coast of South America, which has been prevailing since last summer.
Fagin elaborated that for the Himalayan region, this typically results in a delayed onset of the summer monsoon season and a reduction in rainfall, accompanied by above-average temperatures. However, he highlighted that the El Niño conditions are presently in a weakening phase, suggesting a potential shift in weather patterns as the year progresses.
Source : ExplorersWeb
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