Everest 2025: Weekend Update April 27–On the Move!

Drone crash, Icefall collapse, ropes to Camp 3, and climbers tag Camp 2. 374 Everest permits thus far, but only 48 on the Tibet side. New rules from the Nepal Government. It’s been a busy week on Everest.

Big Picture

Many teams will do a couple of training days at EBC before going on their first rotation to Camp 1 and 2. Now you may ask, why training is needed for anyone coming to Everest, and, yes, all climbers should come prepared. That said, many people have never crossed a ladder over a 300-foot deep crevasse, which is, well, “interesting.”

Garrett Maddison puts it like this:

Madison Mountaineering 2025 EBC Training
It’s been an excellent few days of training on the Khumbu Glacier! Situated just outside our base camp, our team kitted-up, fueled with a nutritious breakfast, and took to the ice under crystal-clear, blue skies. The teams been reviewing technical skills that are needed to climb Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. By reviewing these skills now, we can move swiftly and efficiently while navigating different sections of the route. Everyone’s doing great, looking strong and ready to get the climbing underway!

As did Adventure Consultants:

The Everest team had a great training session in the ice pinnacles next to Base Camp. The Khumbu Icefall presents all sorts of challenges, steep ice to climb and descend, ladders over wide crevasses to cross, and sometimes vertical ladders to scale the steepest sections. Which is all done in the dark early hours of the day when temperatures are lowest. So they refreshed and practised the skills we need before they pass through the icefall for real. Crossing ladders wearing crampons isn’t the most natural skill in the world after all. Plus it’s an opportunity to fine-tune gear, some of which is new for this trip. The middle of the Khumbu Icefall is definitely not the place to realise your ascender is just a bit out of reach. So it was all time well spent and everyone felt more confident afterwards.

Before my first Everest climb, I practiced at home in the backyard!

Alan first time on Everest ladders — Alan’s first time on Everest ladders

Another Everest Rule PROPOSAL from Nepal

The Kathmandu Post reported, “According to the Integrated Tourism Bill registered in Nepal’s upper house of Parliament on April 18, any climber wishing to set foot on Everest must first have conquered a mountain over 7,000 metres.”

I don’t believe it will be passed, similar to the 1995/6 proposal to require a 6000-meter climb before Everest. Operators saw business cut in half and demanded it be rescinded, which it was. I don’t see anything different this time; however, I think it’s an excellent rule, similar to what China requires.

I hope they will accept ANY 7000-meter peak worldwide; if not, it will eliminate many popular peaks that have been climbed to prepare for an Everest climb. They include Denali, Aconcagua, Ojos del Salado, Ama Dablam, and Huascaran Sur. The new group of likely suspects includes: Spantik, Pik Lenin, Pumori, Annapurna South, Baruntse, Himlung, and Pumori.

The bill is still in draft form and must be passed through debates in both Houses of Parliament. Officials at the Ministry of Tourism say changes are likely before the final law is signed.

Another disturbing suggestion is a provision to make it mandatory for the sirdar (head Sherpa), high-altitude guides, and helpers on every expedition to be all Nepali citizens. Does this prevent any foreigners from working as guides in Nepal?

This is a list of the latest batch of new rules, some previously announced to take effect in September 2025. Obviously, they don’t apply to current expeditions, as, once again, most have not been approved.

Everest permit fee to increase from $11,000 to $15,000 per foreigner (previously announced)
8000m climbers must have one guide for two climbers (previously announced)
Under 8000m, climbers must have one guide for each team(previously announced)
Must have climbed a 7000-meter peak
Only Nepalese citizens can work as expedition sirdar (head Sherpa), high-altitude guides, and helpers
Climbers submit a certificate from a government-approved medical institution, issued within the past month
Must also declare in advance if attempting a record.
If climb is disrupted by war, disaster, or events beyond their control, no refund, but a permit valid for two years or adjusted fee for another peak.
Dead body management insurance, in addition to existing policies for accidents, health, and search and rescue, lasting at least three months.
Current $4,000 refundable garbage deposit replaced with a non-refundable garbage fee.
Climbers must submit photographs and other evidence of their summit within three months of summit.
Nepali climbers found to be violating the law may be banned from climbing for 10 years, fined the equivalent of their climbing permit, or both.
Search and rescue will be the legal responsibility of the travel and tour companies managing foreign climbers.
If a climber is missing for more than a year and remains unfound, they will be declared legally dead.

As I outline in this chart, we’ve seen these rules before, with the vast majority, since 2013, were never implemented or enforced. Click to enlarge the chart since the font is so small.

Summary of Nepal's New Climbing Rules. source: various. Analysis: Alan Arnette — Summary of Nepal’s New Climbing Rules. source: various. Analysis: Alan Arnette

Last Week – Ropes Reach Camp 3, Drone Down

The route fixers from 8K Expeditions got the ropes to Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face and are getting close to the South Col. They could even summit next week if the winds stay low. Several teams spent nights at Camps 1 and 2, some even tagging 7000 meters on the Lhotse Face.

It’s been quiet with respect to route conditions. I’ve been told it takes five to ten hours to go from EBC to C1 in the Western Cwm. That’s a pretty typical range, but everyone will get faster as they acclimate.

Also, many, many teams are only doing one rotation this easily to minimize time spent in the Icefall. We know the Icefall Doctors reported extensive rockfall off Everest’s West Shoulder onto the Icefall while they were setting the route, so team leads are probably being extra conservative this year. We will know more soon.

Everest Drone. credit: unkown — Everest Drone. credit: unknown

On Friday, a multi-ladder crossing collapsed in the lower Khumbu Icefall, which is not unusual. The Icefall Docs had new ladders in within hours. However, some climbers had a day off from going to C1 to acclimate. Most are still in EBC anyway. A few teams have begun their travel to the Chinese Base Camp on the Tibet side.

On Friday, I got reports that one of the two drones used to ferry supplies to Camp 1 went down due to high winds. Chinese company, Drone Technology, makes the DJI FlyCart 30 drones, which cost $70,000 each and can carry a paylod of about 15kg/33 pounds.. Nepal-based Airlift Technologies owns and operates them from EBC. Mike Hammil told me from EBC:

Namaste from EBC, Alan. They have been flying the drone out of our top heli pad and one (I believe there is only one) crashed in the ice fall in winds. The parachute deployed and our Sherpa know where it is but it hasn’t been retrieved as of yesterday. Hopefully they are able to recover it without any damages.

The drones are being used to ferry to C1, rope, ladders, tools to fix the route, and trash on the return trip to EBC. The flight path avoids flying directly over the climbing route, which proved to be a wise move given this incident. I received one report that said there had been no flights for the last few days.

On the Tibet side, Climbalaya Treks & Expeditions. Kobler & Partner are staged at the Nepal/Tibet border finalizing permits.

Next Week

We will see Base Camp fill up and more teams begin their acclimatization rotations to Camp 1 and 2, some tagging 78000 meters before returning to Base Camp. I expect to see 8K get the fixed line to the South Col, perhaps higher to the Balcony.

On the Tibetan side, the Tibetan rope team will make good progress, often they summit before the Nepal side, so we will see. Thus far, I’m getting a report that China has only issued 48 foreigner climbing permits for events. This is way under what I was predicting, given 2025 is the first year it’s been fully open since 2019.

Other 8000ers

Annapurna Over

The Anna season ends with close to forty summits and two tragic Sherpa deaths. Anna had six teams with sixty-six clients.

Dhaulagiri–Developing

7 Summits Club has arrived at Dhaulagiri Base Camp. This season, fifteen foreigners have permits for Dhaulagiri across two teams.

Kangchenjunga–Arriving

Seven Summits Treks and Altitude Junkies are two of the four teams there. Forty-one people have climbing permits.

Makalu–Ready

With the fixed rope to the summit, we can anticipate the commercial climbers beginning their rotations and summit pushes soon. Madison Mountaineering is headed there this weekend. This season, 66 foreigners have permits for Makalu across six teams.

First Steps into the Khumbu Icefall

For those on the Nepal side, many began their first rotation on Everest and not on a nearby peak like Lobuche or Pumori. The first steps are in the Khumbu Icefall – the Troll of the Western Cwm. Of course, videos and selfies crossing ladders in the Khumbu Icefall have become standard social media content and are always a winner when giving Everest talks back home.

In the Khumbu Icefall, there are usually between 20 and 30 crevasses, but for 2025, there appears to be a small number of crossings, around five. But there are some vertical ones with several ladders lashed together. While not difficult, there is a challenge in crampons at this altitude, so the anxiety ramps up a bit. Actually, it’s easier to go up than down!

Anxiety

By now, you know the drill from your team leadership. Sometime during dinner, the announcement is made of tomorrow’s plan and what time to be standing at attention outside the dining tent. As your mountain programming continues, you are beginning to appreciate this clear and direct communication.

You knew this day was coming, so you already have your Camps 1 and 2 pack ready. This rotation, you will take a sleeping bag and pad to leave at the high camps and a few extra layers, which you know you won’t need back in EBC. Also, two liters of water with powder, an energy bar, goggles, gloves, and sunglasses. You have a yard sale in your tent when you get everything packed or laid out. Oh yeah, boots, crampons, an ice axe, and a harness. No wonder you maxed out your credit card each month for the last year.

It’s cold tonight, well below freezing on any scale. You strip down to your merino wool tops, bottoms and sleep socks, pull on your cap, zip up the bag so now only the tip of your nose is exposed. This lasts for exactly 12.56 seconds before you become claustrophobic and flop around like a crocodile. You roll over on your other side; that’s better. This lasts longer, 23.83 seconds. Roll again to the other side. OK, this works, and you close your eyes. Then an image comes to you, crossing a ladder in the Icefall.

Wake Up Awake

Your watch alarm, which is so quiet that it’s more like a mosquito flying around, goes off at 1:30 am. But this morning, or evening, it didn’t matter because you fell asleep only 20 minutes ago. Finally, it’s time. Again, you’ve got this drill down as you get dressed–pull the boots on, grab your pack and sharps, and stumble to the dining tent in the dark. Oh yeah, headlamp. You go back to your tent.

You have a cup of tea with an absurd amount of sugar, thinking this will help you. The eggs are on a piece of toast. It all goes down easily. Tastes good. You pass on the porridge but know the Sherpas are eating a wild concoction called tsampa made up of roasted barley that is pounded into a paste and softened with either hot water, milk, or tea, making it like porridge in texture, or sometimes rolled into a ball for easy eating. Of course, this is washed down with Tibetan Tea, a pot of black tea flavored with yak butter and salt. Did you say “salt?”

You begin to reconsider, thinking you need to eat like a Sherpa to climb like a Sherpa. Wish it was that easy….

Prayers before Climbing

Standing outside, you wander to the Puja altar, where you smell the juniper boughs smoking away. There is a small flame, but mostly a pungent smoke. One of the Sherpas walks over and stands in the smoke. In an impressive display of purpose and control, he gently waves the rising smoke onto his body. He does this three times before chanting a Tibetan prayer you may never understand, and walks away from camp.

Every Sherpa on your team who goes with you to the Western Cwm Camps repeats this ceremony. A few of the members follow suit. By now, you know the Sherpas respect your beliefs and never force any of these traditions on anyone, but they welcome everyone to participate.

Your camp is in the middle of the sprawling EBC. It will take about half an hour to reach the spot where you put your crampons on, aka Crampon Point, how original, you think sarcastically. The entire area is teeming with Sherpas, members, Icefall Doctors, a random yak and an odd dog.

You bend over to put your crampons on. Somehow, this time feels different. It’s not a halfway trip or a simple training exercise; this is the real deal. Your heart rate picks up a bit, and you realize that bending over has stopped your breathing for a moment. One big gasp and everything is back to normal.

Go!

The route follows an unknown trail only visible to the Sherpas. It leads gently upwards, then takes a massive leap over an icy hill and down into a pool of half-frozen water. You sidestep the water. Now is not a good time to go for a dip! The walking continues as you glance ahead to see a long line of bright headlamps. The sky is clear, making it even colder, but no snow. OK, you begin to do advanced math in your head. It’s 2:00 and it should take six hours to get to Camp 1, so that would put you there at …. Hey look! It’s that dog!

Your personal Sherpa is Dawa Sherpa. You’ve gotten to know him over the past few days. He’s a young man, maybe 28. He’s married with a small 2-year-old. He lives in the Rolwaling area, a bit away from the Khumbu. If you summit with him, it will be his 14^thsummit. His English is very good, he appears highly skilled, and he tells you he is an IFMGA/UIAGM-certified mountain guide.

Struggles

The route becomes circuitous now, but it goes upward. Your breathing quickens. Sweat beads on your brow in the below-freezing still air. You don’t want to go so fast but feel pressured to keep up with Dawa. Around this time, a “Sherpa Train” passes by: 11 Sherpas nose to tail, huge packs on their backs. They zoom past you as if you are standing still. You are, “Dawa barked, “Stop. Let them pass.'” You gladly heed the command as you try to take in more air into your now cold lungs. Big air in, a hard cough out, and a pattern is formed. Now you understand what everyone meant when they said one of your most essential pieces of gear is your Buff.

You and Dawa rejoin the trail. Dawa’s industrial-strength headlamp could land airplanes, but he moves gracefully, gently weaving around any obstacle and gaining elevation like a bird. Suddenly, the awareness in the back of his head informs him that he must slow the pace. He has his member with him. It would be rude to leave you behind.

Upon reaching the beginning of the fixed rope, a thin white nylon line installed by the Icefall Doctors a couple of weeks ago, you bend down to clip your carabiner onto it. This safety line is tethered back to your harness with nylon webbing. It’s been drilled into you: “Never, never, ever, unclip from the rope. Ever!!”

Moving steadily, you gain altitude in the Icefall. The early hours of the morning are cold; it is dark with no moon tonight. Maybe for summit night? The Sherpas often say a full moon is an auspicious sign. Headlamps illuminate the way, but so do the lines of climbers ahead of you and the thin white nylon line; another part of climbing Everest you will come to know.

Soon, the conga line comes to a halt. It is just you and Dawa because Dawa has no patience for slow climbers, and he passes each of them, pulling you along in his slipstream. While you struggle to breathe, you know this is a good sign as he will get you to the summit and not let anyone or anything slow you down.

Ladders

The ladders are not always straight across a crevasse, in fact, rarely. They can go down, straight up, be positioned at an angle, anything but horizontal. There can be dual ladders in high-traffic areas. Sometimes an up ladder and a down ladder.

Khumbu Icefall Fall courtesy of Bill Burke

Approaching the ladder, you pause for an inspection. How many ladders are lashed together? Not too bad if only one, but three, four, or more, it sinks in the middle, it bounces. Watching a Sherpa crossing ahead on a four-fer, you see the wobble – left, right, up, down. It is 3D.

The safety lines are in place. You look at the anchors, where they are secured to the ground, or more accurately, to the snow or ice. The thin nylon line is tied in a squirrelly knot through a hole in a piece of bent aluminum – a picket. That’s all? Looking across the crevasse you see the rope tied to an ice screw, but yesterday’s hot sunlight has the hole has melted out and the ice screw bobs freely.

Dawa looks at you as you take a second carabiner off your harness. He goes first. Clipping in both ‘biners to the two safety ropes on either side of the ladder, he steps onto the first rung, then the second, and without so much as a pause, he is across, standing there staring at you. You can almost hear him in a deep John Wayne voice, “OK kid, I showed you how to do it, now get on with it.”

Knowing you have little choice, you approach the ladder as one would approach one of those monkeys you saw in Kathmandu. Carefully, slowly, you move your feet towards the edge. Bending over, you grab the right-hand safety line, then with your other hand, you press the locking mechanism of your carabiner inwards and clip onto the line. Repeating this procedure, you are now hooked onto both safety lines. Your life is now in the hands of the makers of some space-age technology that is used mostly in socks!

Your crampon’s front points jut out from your boot as you focus on the first rung. The question is whether to put the mid part of your sole on the rung or to gingerly put your front points on one rung and the back of your boot on the trailing rung. The latter risks being caught when you lean forward, forcing the rung tightly against your crampons. Only a Cirque du Soleil move would allow you to free yourself.

Seeing the Sherpas make this move gives you confidence, so you move forward. The right boot settles on the ladder, then your left foot moves quickly in place. You hold onto the ropes with a grip so tight that if you fell, your shoulder would dislocate before your grip would release.

Your hands are slightly behind you when pulling the line taught. All of a sudden, the line goes tight from both sides. Teammates have squatted at both ends of the ladder to pull the rope tight, making it more of a rail. You appreciate this and return the favor at the next crossing.

One step is followed by the next, and then a third. Your eyes focused on the ladder, your boot, your knee – anything other than the seemingly bottomless pit below you. You realize you have not taken a breath in the middle of the span. At 18,000 feet, this is a big mistake. You pause and take a big breath.

Looking up, you see Sherpas, strangers, and a black dog looking at you, wondering. You wonder as well. It’s now evident that your slow pace is holding up, well, you are delaying the dog … Your humility lessons continue.

THE black dog in the Khumbu Icefall, courtesy of Bill Burke

A few more steps, and your foot reaches the snow-covered ground. You take another deep breath. Unclipping, you stand up straight; you had been slouching the entire time. Your mother would be unhappy. Looking around, you feel good. The dog bounds up the ladder and leaves you behind!

Real dangers

The climb through the Icefall continues, touching on the famous points: the first ladder, the football field, popcorn, and the high ladders at the top. When you think it’s all over, the route turns on itself. Now, a slight yellow glow illuminates the area. Good, you think; the daylight will bring strength but also instability. You pick up the pace. The final steps at the top of the Icefall are someone’s idea of a really poor joke. After gaining almost 610 meters (2,000 feet), haven’t you paid the price to the Troll? Apparently not, as a set of two vertical ladders presents itself to you. Make that two sets of six ladders lashed together to help you, an aspiring ice climber, scale a 30-meter (100-foot) ice wall. John Snow would be saddened that you used ladders.

Tenji in the Icefall. Courtesy of Jon Griffith

Just before the Game of Thrones Ladder section, Dawa has grown a bit impatient with you, and the gap widens. You know you are almost to Camp 1, so this doesn’t worry you. As the area lights up, you pass a ridiculously high vertical ice serac. It looks like something King Kong would scale and beat his chest from the top. You really don’t give it any notice as you pass. The terrain is pretty flat; you are walking on a snow-covered sidewalk for a short distance. Looking ahead, you see the ladders, and then you hear it – a huge crash and explosion of ice… the Tower had fallen directly onto the route where you and Dawa were just moments earlier.

Dawa stops in his tracks, looks back at the evidence of the collapse; a handful of refrigerator-sized ice blocks cover the trail, along with millions of tiny ice blocks. He looks at you. You look at him. No words need to be exchanged. You move on.

Serious Sunrise

Somehow, you overcome the ladders and enter the Western Cwm. Then reality sets in. You thought that at the top of the Icefall, it would be an easy sidewalk saunter to Camp 1. But noooooo, more ups and downs, more ladders to scale. Dawa glances at you as he moves on, putting on his sunglasses, already out, knowing that at the top of the Icefall is full-on George Hamilton bright sun. You stop, take off your pack, and search in each pocket for the $250 sunglasses you bought to avoid snow blindness. You finally find them just as your eyes are in pain and drying out. Best laid plans.

You try to keep up with Dawa as he floats across the lower Cwm once again. You are seriously tired, seriously dehydrated, and experiencing a serious crisis of confidence. About that time, Dawa pauses at the top of one of the endless glacier ditches. When you arrive at the top, all your neuroses exposed, you look down at your yellow boots against the pure white snow created by Everest and Lhotse snowfall.

“We made good time,” Dawa simply says and trots off.

Stunned, you are now the world’s best climber!! Certainly better than anyone else on your team, even though half of them are already at Camp 1. Yes!!! Yes!! You win!!!

Camp 1

Finally arriving at Camp 1, you are once again humbled by the accuracy and attention to detail of the Sherpas. A row of eight yellow tents is precisely lined up. This time, you will share a with tentmate. You two have already bonded, so it’s an easy choice, and you find your tent. Your pack drops heavily to the ground. Standing up, you look around for the first time. OMG. Lhotse steals the view, but Nuptse to your right is very impressive. You pause, thinking of Ueli Steck. To your left is the mother of mountains.

You unstrap your pad from the outside of your pack and then pull your -29C/-20F full down sleeping bag out. You unroll it, throw it on top of your pad, and slide in next to your tentmate. Lying on top of the ethically sourced down sleeping bag that will keep you warm at the South Col when it is -29C/-20F, it dawns on you … It’s well over 38C/100F inside the tent.

Not a whiff of wind, no movement of air. You are now at 5,942 meters/19,500 feet, lying on a layer of moving glacial ice, and you are on fire. The black dog comes over for a snack.

Welcome to Camp 1.

Nepal Permit Update

Across Nepal’s climbing peaks, through April 21, 2025, the Ministry of Tourism collected USD 4.65 million in royalties, with Everest accounting for USD 4.05 million. Thus far, 704 permits have been issued for 21 mountains this spring. The top countries thus far for all peaks include: US (115), China (72), India (60), Russia (39), and the UK (37). This is the 2025 tally for the 8000ers:

8000er	Teams	Male Clients	Female Clients	Total
Annapurna I	6	49	17	66
Cho Oyu	–	–	–	–
Dhaulagiri	2	9	6	15
Everest	37	302	72	374
Kanchenjunga	4	26	15	41
Lhotse	8	78	16	94
Makalu	6	53	13	66
Manaslu	–	–	–	–
TOTALS	63	517	139	656

Subscribe to Blog via Email

An email notification is sent to everyone on the mailing list for each new post. If you would like to see anything special this year, post a comment or drop me an email.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Here’s the Podcast of this Weekend Update

39 views

Everest 2025: April 27 Weekend Update

The Podcast on alanarnette.com

You can listen to #everest2025 podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.

Previous Everest 2025 Season Coverage Posts

Why this coverage?

I like to use these weekend updates to remind my readers that I’m just one guy who loves climbing. With 38 serious climbing expeditions, including four Everest trips and a summit in 2011, I use my site to share those experiences, demystify Everest each year, and bring awareness to Alzheimer’s Disease. My mom, Ida Arnette, died from this disease in 2009, as have four of my aunts. It was a heartbreaking experience that I hope no other family will go through; thus, I asked for donations to non-profits, which 100% go to them and never to me.

: Ida Arnette 1926-2009

Hello from Alan Arnette

Schedule a Free Call

Welcome! Summit Coach is a consulting service that aids climbers worldwide in achieving their goals through personalized consulting services rooted in Alan Arnette’s 30 years of high-altitude mountaineering experience and decades as a business executive. He set an American age record by summitting K2 at age 58 in 2014. We have supported many climbers in reaching their goals, from a Colorado 14er to Aconcagua, Denali, Cotopaxi, Everest, and even K2. Please visit the Summit Coach website for information on prices and offerings.

3 thoughts on “Everest 2025: Weekend Update April 27–On the Move!”

Indian Photo Academy says:
May 9, 2025 at 5:37 am
Absolutely incredible coverage as always, Alan! Your detailed updates and passion for Everest mountaineering bring the adventure to life. Truly appreciate your dedication and insight!
1. Alan Arnette says:
  May 11, 2025 at 5:17 pm
  I appreciate this a lot.
Marilyn Marestaing says:
April 28, 2025 at 1:15 pm
Excellent narration, as usual, Alan !!