Everest 2022: Summit Wave 4 – Update
The fourth wave of Everest summiters are beginning to reach the summit, with more female youngest records being set. With the Jet Stream MIA, the weather is unbelievably perfect, thus allowing the 500-600 climbers to spread out and minimize crowds, not that they don’t exist.
Everest now has a formula. It’s straightforward: a high level of Sherpa support, a high level of oxygen support, and this year, an extremely lucky weather system, absent of the Jet Stream. Thankfully this has allowed day after day of 100 or more summits with minimal (but no) crowds and no reported (but still could have occurred) deaths or rescues. Let’s hope the weather continues until the queue is empty.
Another headline from this season thus far is the young female summiters, albeit with massive support, in some cases a 1:7 ratio. Putting style aside, we need the next-gen to make a difference in conservation (LNT), adventure, exploring, and ambition. They will find new routes in the old mountains.
Everest 2022: Summit Wave 3 Recap
The third wave of Everest summiters has come and gone, with around 22 members supported by 37 Sherpas. Thus far, there have been about 202 summits on the Nepal side and 50 on the Tibet side, for 252 total this Spring season. Many more people are climbing now, aiming for Saturday morning, May 14.
There were 316 permits issued on the Nepal side, so estimating that 30% drop out for various reasons and overall for members, the success rate hovers around 80%; we can expect another 175 members supported by a 1:1.5 Sherpa ratio leaving about 250 more people to summit. Thus 240 of the 361 foreigners who received a permit will summit, or 75%, which is about normal for these days.
Thankfully, no deaths or rescues were reported once again, but we may still learn of difficulties. Overall, the weather was ideal, with low winds and temperatures around 0F/-20C. Tonight should be the same.