Everest 2025: Season Summary

Drone-Powered Trash

Based on the successful experiments conducted in 2024, drones were utilized extensively this season. The Chinese company Drone Technology manufactures the DJI FlyCart 30 drones, which cost $70,000 each and can carry a payload of approximately 30kg (66 pounds).  Nepal-based Airlift Technologies owned and operated them from EBC to ferry rope fixing gear to Camp 1 and bring trash back down. The Kathmandu Post reported interesting statistics provided by Airlift:

This spring, almost all the ladders and ropes used to prepare Everest’s route were flown by drones up to Camp I.

The Icefall Doctors, a group of specialist sherpas mobilised by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), usually carry over 20 ladders and hundreds of kilograms of ropes by hand. This year, drones lifted 444 kg of such equipment.

“It was super fast,” Pandey said. “This year, the drones supplied 900 kg of equipment for the 8K Expedition up to Camp I. They also delivered 150 oxygen cylinders for Asian Trekking, six at a time—each weighing four litres.”

The drone reached a record 6,130 metres, the highest documented drone delivery. I expect this trend to continue despite one of the costly drones falling into a crevasse, but it was saved by deploying parachutes to soften the landing.

Similarly, the Post noted that the SPCC collected more than 83 tonnes of garbage from Everest alone this spring. That included 25,056 kg of paper, plastic, and clothing; 8,374 kg of metal and glass; 17,861 kg of kitchen waste; and a staggering 31,797 kg of human waste. Also retrieved: 788 used gas canisters and 1,802 spent batteries. Climbers delivered the majority of this to a collection center at EBC.

Power Aid(s)

Many climbers, especially purists and critics, often believe that using supplemental oxygen while climbing Everest is akin to cheating. But honestly, most climbers don’t feel that way at all. Since the first attempt to summit Everest in 1922, when a British team reached a height of 8,225 meters (26,985 feet) before turning back, approximately 98.22% of the 16,612 climbers who either attempted or reached the summit used supplemental oxygen through 2024, according to the Himalayan Database.

This climbing season, an increasing number of climbers are opting for more Sherpa support and supplemental oxygen, starting at lower altitudes, to reach the summit and return to their regular lives as quickly as possible. This extra help, along with spending approximately 400 to 500 hours (around 62 nights) in a hypoxic tent to simulate conditions at heights of up to 23,000 feet (7,000 meters), is becoming popular but is not generally used to avoid acclimatization entirely on the mountain. Climbers participating in intense training programs have been performing well, with both small groups and single climbers reaching the summit in under a week, traveling from their homes to Everest and back.

Andrew Ushakov from the U.S. made the journey from New York City to the top of Everest in just 3 days, 23 hours, and 7 minutes, with the help of five Sherpas from Elite Exped. He did it using supplemental oxygen starting from EBC and sleeping in a hypoxic tent at home. He didn’t use xenon. On the flip side, the xenon-supported, also used altitude tents, ex UK Special Forces military team—which included Garth Miller, Alastair Carns, Anthony Stazicker, and Kev Godlington—left the UK on Friday, May 16, and made it to the summit on May 21, five days later, with eight Sherpas helping, five of whom also reached the summit, according to the organizer, Furtenbach Adventures.

For me, it’s tough to say how much these methods actually sped up their climbs. We know pre-acclimatization and a solid fitness program give all climbers a serious advantage, as does any use of supplemental oxygen. Dr. Peter Hackett, high-altitude hysican and Everest summiteer, noted the impact of supplemental oxygen and xenon during an NPR interview on May 18, saying, “…most importantly, they’re using oxygen on the climb. And that’s the most helpful thing that any Everest climber can have: to use oxygen. So, it’s so hard to tell if there’s any additional benefit from xenon.”

Opinion

While I’m not a medical expert, I want to share my thoughts as a climber. I find the trend of “shortcuts to the top” a bit worrisome. The saying “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” really hits home here.

These climbing techniques might change our perspective on Everest, potentially leading to some unexpected outcomes. The use of the Nobel gas may be a slippery slope. Ambitious and medically untrained climbers may seek out the gas and other aids to reduce the time and cost of their expeditions, and at times, be encouraged by unscrupulous guides.

Drug use continues to increase in the world of mountaineering, with pervasive use of Diamox (acetazolamide) to help—but not replace—the natural acclimatization process. Now, we are also seeing an uptick in dexamethasone (a steroid), Viagra (sildenafil) and now xenon used prophylactically to reduce the time of an expedition from months to weeks or even days.

Proponents cite their use in the name of safety, reduction of trash, conservation of resources (such as oxygen bottles and reliance on Sherpas), and minimizing impact on the mountain, rather than as a performance-enhancing aid.

Of course, any mountain can be climbed cleanly, with or without aids for the climber’s body and with minimal impact on the environment, by following Leave No Trace principles, green ethics, and carbon-neutral expeditions. Achieving this takes leadership from guides, personal responsibility from climbers, and, if enforced, government regulations.

As previously mentioned, you must have a unique physiology to summit an 8000 m peak without supplemental oxygen. The use of new technologies and methods will continue, as progress is a constant and creative ideas are at the heart of advancements. So while I applaud these approaches, and each individual makes their own choices concerning style. Without judgment for their choices, I am not a fan.

In my view, climbing shouldn’t be rushed. It tests and challenges us to endure difficulties, celebrate the journey, not just the outcome, and return home as better versions of ourselves by embracing the spirit of expedition climbing. And we can climb the “right” way without aids, other than supplemental oxygen (which I know is an “aid”, so please don’t jump all over me. 🙂 . 

Foot Powered

Both record-seeking Everest runners turned back, primarily due to the windy conditions. Karl Egloff stopped near Camp 3, and Tyler Andrews got to Camp 4 before stopping. There were no new speed records this season.

Mitch Hutchcraft completed what he called “Mount Everest’s longest climb” after swimming the English Channel, cycling to India, and running and hiking to the mountain, and summited.

Grounded

Tim Howell wanted to fly off Lhotse in a wingsuit again this season, but winds stopped Tim and Brit, IFMGA guide Jon Gupta, in support.

French alpinist Marc Batard, 72, abandoned his effort to establish a route to bypass the Khumbu Icefall by climbing on the flanks of Nuptse, the peak to the climber’s right as they ascend the Icefall, citing a lack of government support.

More Everest Rule PROPOSALS  from Nepal

The Kathmandu Post reported, “According to the Integrated Tourism Bill registered in Nepal’s upper house of Parliament on April 18, 2025, 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, like 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 are regularly climbed to prepare for an Everest climb, such as Denali, Aconcagua, Ojos del Salado, Ama Dablam, and Huascaran Sur. If the rule includes only Nepal 7000-meter peaks, the likely suspects will include Annapurna II, III, and IV(Above 7555m), Baruntse(7129m), Himlung Himal(7126m), Nuptse(7861m), Putha Hiunchuli(7134m) and Tilicho Peak(7134m).

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 of which were previously announced to take effect in September 2025. 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.

• 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 the climb is disrupted by war, disaster, or events beyond their control, no refund, but a permit valid for two years or an adjusted fee for another peak.
• Dead body management insurance, in addition to existing policies for accidents, health, and search and rescue, lasts at least three months.
• The current $4,000 refundable garbage deposit will be replaced with a non-refundable garbage fee.
• Climbers must submit photographs and other evidence of their summit within three months of the 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, never implemented or enforced. Click to enlarge the chart, as the font is too small.

Summit Summary

Despite the erratic winds, teams had enough days to spread out. However, due to the uncertainty, when a window appeared, so did the masses, especially on May 18^th and 19^th. 

On the Nepalese side, there were nearly 800 summits from over 50 teams. The following statistics were derived from public sources and my research, but may be off by a day for some. I’ll be glad to correct upon receiving credible information.

May 27: 30 (24 clients with 32 Sherpas)

• German mountaineer Anja Blacha, alone, no Os or Sherpas
• Seven Summits Treks: 22 Indian Army clients, with 27 Sherpas–1.:1.22 with Kami Rita Sherpa’s #31
• Pioneer Adventures: 2 clients with 5 Sherpa –  1:2.5 Vishwanath Karthikey Padakan, the youngest Indian

May 24: 39 (15 clients with 25 Sherpas)

• Adventure Consultants: 4 clients, 1 western guide, 7 Sherpas
• Imagine Nepal: 9 clients with 11 Sherpas – 1:1.22
• 7 Summits Club: 2 clients with 7 Sherpas – 1:3.5

May 23: 90+ (36+ clients with 50+ Sherpas)

• 14 Peaks: 2 clients with 5 Sherpas –  1:2.5
• Climbalaya: 5 clients with 5 Sherpa- 1:1
• Alpine Ascents International (AAI): 4 clients, 1 Western Guide (Ben Jones with #10), at least 4 Sherpas
• Seven Summits Treks: 11 clients, with 11 Sherpas –  1:1++
• Madison Mountaineering: 8 clients, one guide with 15 Sherpas – 1:8.75 Garrett Madison # 15
• Mountain Professionals: 9 summits, no breakout
• Furtenbach Adventures: unspecified breakout

May 22: 38+ (18+ clients with 20+ Sherpas)

• 14 Peaks Expeditions: 11 clients with 13 Sherpas –  1:1.8
• Peak Promotion Team: 7 clients with 7 Sherpas – 1:1

May 21: 9 (4 clients with 5 Sherpas)

• Furtenbach Adventures: 4 UK clients with 5 Sherpas

May 20: 31+ (14 clients with 17+ Sherpas)

• Everest Expeditions: 1 client, 2 Sherpas- 1:2
• Everest Expeditions Nepal: 9 clients, 11 Sherpas- 1:1.2
• Pioneer Adventures: 2 clients with 2 Sherpa – 1:2
• Dreamers Destination: 1 client, 2 Sherpas – 1:2

May 19: 120+ (52+ clients with 60+ Sherpas)

• 7 Summits Club: 4 clients with 6 Sherpas – 1:1.5
• 7 Summits Expeditions: 11 clients, 9 Sherpas- 1:08
• Elite Exped: 1 client with 6 Sherpas – 1:6 (Andrew Ushakov, who has just become the fastest person to go from sea-level to the summit of Everest in just 3 days, 23 hours and 7 minutes.
• Adventure Consultants: 1 client, 3 Sherpas and Ang Dorge Sherpa with #24
• 8K Expeditions 5 clients with 10 Sherpas – 1:2
• Seven Summits Treks: 4 clients with 14 Sherpas – 1:1
• Summit Climb: 3 clients with 3 Sherpas – 1:1
• 14 Peaks Expeditions: 7 clients with 4 Sherpas –  1:0.5
• Climbalaya: 1 client with 21 Sherpas –  1:1
• Elite Exped: 11 clients with 27 Sherpas – 1:6
• Kaitu Expeditions: 2 clients, 4 Sherpas –  1:2
• Satori Adventures: 1 client with 2 sherpas – 1:2
• Imagine Nepal: 1 client with 2 Sherpas – 1:2
• Pioneer Adventures: 1 client (Chhonzin Angmo, visually impaired) with 2 Sherpa – 1:2
• Pioneer Adventures: 2 clients with 2 Sherpa –1:2.45

May 18: 200+ (75+ clients with 120+ Sherpas)

• Katu Expeditions: 2 clients, 4 Sherpas – 1:2
• Elite Exped: 1 client with 1 Sherpa – 1:1
• Satori Adventures: 7 clients, 15 Sherpas – 1:2.14
• 8K Expeditions 1 client with 1 Sherpa– 1:1
• 8K Expeditions 3 clients with 4 Sherpas– 1:1.3
• Dreamers Destination: 3 Sherpas?
• Seven Summits Treks: 7 clients with 10 Sherpas – 1:1.42
• Climbing the Seven Summits: 6 clients, 1 Western Guide, with 18 Sherpas –  1:3
• 14 Peaks Expeditions: 3 clients with 5 Sherpas –  1:1.6
• Seven Summits Treks: 9 clients (Indo-Nepal Army) with 8 Sherpas – 1:0.9
• Seven Summits Treks: 17 clients (NCC Boys & Girls Everest Expedition Team from India) with 21 Sherpas – 1:1.24
• Furtenbach Adventures: first of 53 summits, but no details
• Pioneer Adventures: 5 clients with 9 Sherpa – 1:8

May 16: 30+ (8+ clients with 22+ Sherpas)

• Climbing the Seven Summits: 8 clients, 1 Western Guide, with 22 Sherpas –  1:2.75

May 15: 8+ (4 clients with 4+ Sherpas)

• Makalu Adventures: 3 clients with 3 Sherpa – 1:1
• ChaTours Treks and Expedition: 1 client ( Iurii Sukhanov, oldest Russian, 1 Guide – 1:1

May 14: 120+ (50+ clients with 70+ Sherpas)

• Imagine Nepal: 10 clients with 16 Sherpas – 1:1.6
• Seven Summits Treks: 2 clients with 2 Sherpas – 1:1
• Seven Summits Treks: 10 clients with 12 Sherpas – 1:1.2
• Imagine Nepal: 8 clients with 11 Sherpas – 1:1.38
• Expeditions High Mountain Treks- 3 clients, 7 Sherpas – 1:2.3
• Pioneer Adventures: 2 clients with 3 Sherpa – 1:1.5
• 8K Expeditions: 6 clients with 7 Sherpas– 1:1.16
• 8K Expeditions: 2 clients with 3 Sherpas– 1:1.5
• 8K Expeditions: 4 clients with 4 Sherpas– 1:1

May 11: 9+ (4+ clients with 5+ Sherpas)

• 14 Peaks Expeditions: 4 clients with 5 Sherpas –  1:1.25

May 9: 8 Sherpas – Rope Team

• 8K Expeditions Summit Rope Team

Long-time Nepali operator Asian Trekking was also on the Nepali side, supporting runner Tyler Andrews, among others.

Pictures courtesy of professional photographer Jason Weiss of Jason Weiss Photography were taken this spring. Jason summited Everest from the Tibet side on May 27, 2025. Click the arrows to see all the pictures.

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Tibetan Side

On the Tibetan side, there were over 168 summits from around six teams. These statistics were derived from public sources and my research, but may be off by a day for some, and I have probably missed a few. However, China does not disclose summit figures, as some teams also don’t. I’ll be glad to correct the information once I receive credible details.

• May 27: Alpenglow: 11 clients/Guides with 11 Sherpa/support climbers
• May 27: Climbalaya: 1 Client with 3 Sherpa/support climbers
• May 24: Chinese National Team: 24 members with 56 support climbers (unverified)
• May 24: Kobler & Partner: 3 clients, 1 Western Guide, 4 Sherpas – 1:1.33
• May 24: Climbalaya: 5 clients with 5 Sherpas- 1:1
• May 23: Imagine Nepal: 5 clients with 7 Sherpas
• May 19: Furtenbach Adventures: 32 unspecified breakout

2025 Records

2025 revealed several records. While I am not sure they are newsworthy, they are noteworthy for the climbers. They included:

• Kami Rita Sherpa, 55: Achieved a record 31^st Everest summit
• Passang Dawa Sherpa: Achieved a record 29^th Everest summit
• Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa broke his three-summit record by getting four this spring. He was supported by and promoted the Little Sherpa Foundation. 
• Valery Babanov, 60, became the oldest climber to summit Everest without oxygen support.
• Brit Kenton Cool, 51: A non-Sherpa record of nineteenth Everest summits.
• Anja Blacha, 34: first German female to summit without supplemental oxygen.

Other 8000ers

The Climber’s Depression

I wrote this piece several years ago after speaking with climbers of all skill levels about their experiences and post-climb feelings. It was written based on my personal experience, and I hope it helps others process their own experiences.

Christine, 84 years young, came up to me after a talk I gave about my K2 summit, which was both a success and an epic. “I don’t understand.” She said, shaking her head in a bit of disapproval. I simply replied, “I understand that you don’t understand.”

With that, I expect only a handful of my readers to understand this post.

You summit the mountain of your dreams. You did it in style with great friends or teammates. Everything was perfect. You come home excited and full of energy, and then it hits … your emotions drop like a rock in a still pond. All ambition is gone. You mope around like you just lost your dog.

At first, you chalk it up to being tired; after all, you trained for a year, pushing yourself to reach the summit and back. You are tired. But something else is going on. You are depressed, not really, but you are really, really down.

I understand. I’ve been there – a lot.

Let’s look at three results of a climb: summit, no summit – your issues, no summit – out of your control.

Summit!

You come home, and friends, families, strangers, and the family dog are thrilled to see you. Heartfelt congratulations are offered, and drinks are on the house. Just as you get ready to talk about your proud achievement, all the drama, how you dug deep, and the personal life lessons you learned, your audience turns the tables on you. “Great job. You must be so happy to get this one done. So, what’s next?”

And, so, it begins. Of course, you have pondered this question and have some ideas, but you want to take some time to reflect on the last climb before thinking about the next one. But this is not why you are feeling down, and it goes much deeper.

The last year has been all about your goal. You made sacrifices. So did your family. Your closest friends grew accustomed to that the ‘climb’ was all you wanted to talk about. You denied it had become an obsession, but everyone else said it was. And now it was gone. You have a huge hole in your life.

Instead of celebrating your success, you are drawn into the “no future goal abyss.” Trying to explain it is futile; no one understands except for a few fellow climbers, a friend, and your partner.

How long you remain in the hole is a big question. There are no ladders, no shortcuts out. It just takes time.

No Summit – What Happened?

This one is easier to understand. You “failed” (I don’t like that word used in association with climbing, I prefer ‘non-summit’), and it’s your fault. You reached that point in the climb where you met yourself, and you turned back. You know it. You know it deep down, and it hurts.

You thought you had trained, but you knew you could never “overtrain.” You thought you had studied the route, but you had never been there. You had planned to be self-sufficient, but you ultimately depended on others. You thought you had the right gear, but something went wrong. You thought …

Rationalization is a wonderful thing—a coping mechanism at best and at worst. You struggle to explain to friends, family and the dog what happened. It’s difficult to say, “It’s all on me, full-stop.” But that’s the truth, and the truth hurts. But the dog is still thrilled to see you every time you reenter the room.

And those friends who ask, “How did it go?” Well, the conversation starts with “Did you summit?” And you respond cautiously, beginning with “No, but …” and go into a lengthy explanation of how the planets align, tectonic plates, vagaries of weather forecasting, bacteria versus viruses, and… When your audience regains consciousness, they ask, “Wow. So, what’s next?”

Back into the abyss.

No Summit – It Wasn’t Me!

Perhaps the easiest and the hardest of our three scenarios. You have a built-in excuse, but you still didn’t accomplish your goal. On the flight home, you go thru the five stages of climber’s denial: 1. Pissed off 2. Dejected 3. Heavy drinking 4. Sleep 5. Planning the next climb.

Everyone understands, but no one wants to hear the details. Once again, you find yourself alone in a climber’s depression.

Not summiting or achieving your goal because someone else didn’t do their job is tough to accept. After all, their lack of “whatever” was not your problem until it became yours. Not summiting because nature decided to do a random act of “whatever” was never on your radar. Still, once it occurred, you had no choice but to accept her wrath, hopefully with dignity…but some days that is harder than others.

Your friends, knowing you didn’t summit, tread lightly upon the first meeting. “Tough break. You did yours, but these things happen. Hang in there.” and then …. “So, what’s next?”

Back into the abyss.

So, What’s Next?

If you have ever climbed rock, ice, foothills, or the big ones, you know how it feels. The elation of reaching your goal, the loneliness of not. After the climb is often the toughest phase. The land of “tweens.” The time of annoying questions.

And the time to pick yourself up, get on with life and tell your entire story, in vivid detail, to the family dog…

Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything

Everest 2024: Last Summits of the Season and Another Death