By Alan Arnette6 min read

Everest 2025: Earthquake, Summits, Rescues and a Death–Updated

Everest Tibet 2025. Courtesy of Jason Weiss Photography LLC https://www.jasonweissphotography.com

Update: I spoke live to Adrian Hayes. He is fine and in Kathmandu. He didn’t have altitude sickness as originally reported, but was bumped off a high ridge by another climber and suffered a severely bruised arm, which impaired his descent.

While a successful weekend was achieved across four of Nepal’s 8,000-meter peaks, tragedy struck on Kanchenjunga. An earthquake struck near the Tibetan side of Everest, and more climbers summited Makalu; however, high winds have stalled plans for Everest summits for now.

According to the Everest Chronicle (the Nepal Ministry of Tourism has stopped providing public updates on its permit data), Everest currently has 456 foreign nationals, up from 421 the previous year. The largest contingents are from the United States and India, each with 83 climbers, followed by China with 64 and the United Kingdom with 29. Of the total climbers, 372 are men and 84 are women, spread across 45 teams.

On the Tibetan side, there are 48 foreigners, along with 68 Chinese (only 28 of whom are attempting Everest), and 100 support climbers, totaling around 200 people, according to Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow.

Round Up

French climber Margareta Morin, 63, died as she ascended Kanchenjunga. She was climbing with Peak 15 Adventure, and this was her first 8000er.

My good friend, Adrian Hayes, was rescued after summiting Kangchunga and taken to High Camp, where he is awaiting evacuation after developing severe altitude sickness. He was with Seven Summits Treks.

The speed climber, Tyler Andrews, developed boot zipper problems and was forced to abandon his bid to set a speed record climbing from the EBC to Everest’s summit. It’s reported that he will try again in the next weather window, although it will be crowded. He will need to manage the logistics carefully.

Madison Mountaineering reports their Makalu team summited, but no details, as did Asian Trekking for the nearly 8000-meter peak, Nuptse.

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake occurred near the Tibetan village of Shigatse at 5:11 am local time, but no damage was reported on Everest’s Tibet side. In January 2025, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Tibet’s Tingri county, around 150 miles away from Shigatse, killing over 120 people.

Real Time Update

Willie Benegas of the Benegas Brothers guide company is embedded with Ryan Water’s Mountain Professionals on a private guiding trip. He made an outstanding post detailing their acclimatization rotation to C2:

Short But Powerful: Returning to Camp Two on Everest

After so many years away, stepping back into the Khumbu Icefall felt like flipping open a worn book—pages filled with memories, both triumphant and tragic. But this year, the Icefall is a new chapter altogether.

The entrance has shifted far to the right—so far, in fact, that in the past, this line would have been considered suicidal. Now, it cuts across what we call the “Soccer Field,” then bends left again, crawling beneath the ominous hanging seracs of the Horseshoe Glacier. That section has taken lives before—heavy ones. And yet, paradoxically, this year’s route may be the fastest I’ve seen in the last 15 years. Efficient, but laced with quiet menace.

What’s most alarming, though, is the heat. The Khumbu Glacier is melting at terrifying speed. I used to think the stories of midnight climbs were just high-altitude folklore. Not anymore. This season, it’s the only way to stay ahead of the melt. Just last night, our Sherpa team left Camp

Two at 9 PM to push to the South Col—Camp Four. In my earlier years, that would’ve meant frostbite and bitter winds. Now, it’s survival strategy.

Reaching the Valley of Silence brought a different kind of intensity—an emotional one. There’s a stillness in that place that always leaves me breathless, and not from altitude. I felt old there. But I also felt strong. Not in the way I used to be—reckless, fast—but in a seasoned, rooted way.

Seeing Damian’s Camp Two setup (that he chose a few years ago) from above—strategically perched on a granite dome—was inspiring. From there, you get a panoramic view of the entire camp and the route beyond. He’s carved out something special up there, and you can feel it.

This rotation was short, yes—but it carried the weight of years. Changes in the Icefall. Changes in climate. Changes in us.

We’ll rest now. But we’ll return. And when we do, we’ll carry these truths with us: The mountain changes. The glacier shifts. But the spirit—that deep, raw pull that brought us here in the first place—endures.

Photo of Everest North 2025. Courtesy of Jason Weiss Photography LLC

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Death Total–Ten across the Himalayas

1, 2. April 8–Annapurna: Rinje Sherpa and Ngima Tashi Sherpa, avalanche on Annapurna while working for Seven Summits Treks.

3. April 26–Ama Dablam: Austrian Martin Hornegger, 64, died descending Ama Dablam after summit.

4. May 12–Kanchenjunga: French climber Margareta Morin, 63, died ascending Kanchenjunga, climbing with Peak 15 Adventure.

5. May 5–Makalu: American Alexander (Alex) Pancoe, 39, died at Camp 2, climbing with Madison Mountaineering.

Everest–Five Deaths

1 April 2–Nepali Lanima Sherpa, 55, reportedly died due to high altitude sickness at EBC with an unidentified expedition operator.

2. Early May, Ngima Dorji Sherpa died at EBC from reportedly a brain hemorrhage. He worked for Seven Summits Treks.

3 May 4–Pen Chhiri Sherpa reportedly had a heart attack at Camp I while working for TAG Nepal.

4. May 15–Filipino Philipp II Santiago, 45, reportedly died of unknown causes at C4 on his Everest ascent with Snowy Horizon.

5. May 16, 2025,  West Bengal, Indian, Subrata Ghosh, 45, died near the Hillary Step after summiting with Snowy Horizon.

The Podcast on alanarnette.com

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

Previous Everest 2025 Season Coverage Posts

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6 thoughts on “Everest 2025: Earthquake, Summits, Rescues and a Death–Updated”

  2. Hi Alan!
    any updates on the climbers using xenon gas? Are there any expeditions looking to further locate Andrew Irvine?

  3. Hi Alan! Any updates on the climbers who are using the xenon gas? Also are they any expeditions locating Andrew Irvine?

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