While teams are already in the Western Cwm on the Nepal side, those with Tibetan aspirations are all dressed up with nowhere to go. Teams are still arriving in Nepal, pushing the permits towards 400, still short of the 2023 record.
The Chinese government, citing a holiday from May 1st to the 5th, has delayed issuing climbing permits until May 7th at the earliest. Multiple teams planned on entering Tibet the last week of April but will absorb this delay. The good news is that instead of having teams leave the mountain at the end of May, the season will end on June 10th.
This is more of an inconvenience than a big problem, with those planning to climb on the Tibetan side either staying home or climbing acclimatized in Nepal. Word has it that some Chinese nationals are already climbing, including putting in the fixed ropes. Once again, this makes climbing in Tibet a challenge—the unpredictability of the government. This impacts the three 8000ers: Everest, Shishapangma and Cho Oyu.
Update: The Chinese have officially closed Shis AND Cho Oyu for climbing this spring, but no reason was given.
The number of Nepal climbing permits continues to increase. As of April 22, 2024, Nepal has issued 364 climbing permits to 34 teams for Everest. Several teams are already in the Western Cwm on their acclimatization rotations.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
Everyday Everest
A new 16-part podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season.
Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, I’ll have a twenty-minute updated episode of the story a few times a week for the next two months. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home, trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push. The story’s protagonist, Harper, sets the tone for the story when she tells her husband, Marc, “Honey, I’m going to climb Everest.”
You can listen to Everyday Everest on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Breaker, YouTube, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Previous Everyday Everest Episodes
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 10–Climbing the Lhotse Face
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 9–Summit Date Planned
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 8–Suffering at Camp 2
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 7–Into the Cwm
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 6–Into the Icefall
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 5–Arrival At Base Camp
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 4–Blessing in the Khumbu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 3–The Trek Begins
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 2–Hello Kathmandu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 1–Welcome and Part 1
Preparing for Everest is more than Training
There are five Summit Coach clients on Everest in 2024
If you dream of climbing mountains but are unsure how to start or reach your next level, from a Colorado 14er to Rainier, Everest, or even K2, we can help. Summit Coach is a consulting service that helps aspiring climbers worldwide achieve their goals through a personalized set of consulting services based on Alan Arnette’s 30 years of high-altitude mountain experience and 30 years as a business executive. Please see our prices and services on the Summit Coach website.
