Saturday, May 23 Summits
The SST all Nepali team is not finished after summiting Everest today. The team will kayak over 1,830 miles from the glacier’s source to the Bay of Bengal, highlighting the deep connections among mountains, rivers, ecosystems, and communities, and raising awareness about climate change and river conservation.
- Seven Summits Treks – 7 all Nepali for 7 summits
- 14 Peaks – 5 members supported by 8 Sherpas for 13 total summits
- Furtenbach – 29 total summits
The season total is well over 700.
More to Come
By my count, I’m predicting 800 total summit attempts, so with 700 completed, that leaves around 100 to go, maybe less. Look for more from Madison Mountaineering and AAI, both of which moved to the Col today, targeting May 25 for the summit. Elete Expeditonas is re-targeting May 26 for their final team. Garret told me the Icefall Docs will remove the ladders on May 29, so the clock is ticking.
Nepal Permit Update
As of May 15, 2026, Nepal has issued 1,181 climbing permits to 142 teams across 30 peaks, bringing in $8.43 million US dollars in permit fees, with Everest accounting for $10.7 million. Everest climbers are from 55 countries. China has the most climbers at 109, followed by the U.S. at 77, India at 61 and the UK at 32. There are 105 female climbers on Everest this season. This is the current tally for the 8000ers.
| 8000er | Teams | Male Clients | Female Clients | Total |
| Annapurna I | 4 | 19 | 8 | 27 |
| Dhaulagiri | 4 | 18 | 12 | 30 |
| Everest | 51 | 389 | 105 | 494 |
| Kanchenjunga | 4 | 23 | 13 | 36 |
| Lhotse | 14 | 99 | 44 | 143 |
| Makalu | 11 | 51 | 21 | 72 |
| Manaslu | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| TOTALS | 89 | 601 | 203 | 804 |
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
The Podcast on alanarnette.com
You can listen to #everest2026 podcasts on Spotify, Apple, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Previous Everest 2026 Season Coverage Posts
- Everest 2026: A Few More Summits, Speed Runner is Climbing
- Everest 2026: Garrett Madison Podcast from Camp 2
- Everest 2026: The Western Team’s Turn, My Summit Anniversary
- Everest 2026: May 20 Summit Recap: 270 Summits!
- Everest 2026: Ski Descent and More Summits
- Everest 2026: Weather Alert and More Summits
- Everest 2026: May 17 Weekend Update – Climbers to the Summit
- Everest 2026: Ropes to Summit, Time to Wait
- Everest 2026: May 10 Weekend Update – Ropes to South Col, Everest Death
- Everest 2026: May 3 Weekend Update – Climbing!
- Everest 2026: Route In – With Risks
- Everest 2026: April 27 Weekend Update – Icefall Route In?
- Everest 2026: April 19 Weekend Update – 8000er Summits
- Everest 2026: April 12 Weekend Update – The Khumbu is Alive!
- Everest 2026: Are Everest Climbers Being Poisoned?
- Everest 2026: Climber Rescue Alert
- Everest 2026: Climbers to Watch this Season
- Everest 2026: North Side Closed, New Rules in Effect: Everest 2026 Season Update
- Everest 2026: Icefall Doctors Launched
- Everest 2026: Rumor Fire Season
- Welcome to Everest 2026 Coverage – An overview of what to expect during the Spring 2026 climbing season
Background
- Everest by the Numbers: 2026 Edition – A deep dive into Everest statistics as compiled by the Himalayan Database
- Comparing the Routes of Everest: 2026 Edition – A detailed look at Everest’s routes, commercial, standard, and non-standard
- How Much Does it Cost to Climb Everest: 2026 Edition – My annual analysis of Everest climbing costs, from solo and unsupported to fully guided
Saturday, May 23 Summits
The SST all Nepali team is not finished after summiting Everest today. The team will kayak over 1,830 miles from the glacier’s source to the Bay of Bengal, highlighting the deep connections among mountains, rivers, ecosystems, and communities, and raising awareness about climate change and river conservation.
- Seven Summits Treks – 7 all Nepali for 7 summits
- 14 Peaks – 5 members supported by 8 Sherpas for 13 total summits
- Furtenbach – 29 total summits
The season total is well over 700.
More to Come
By my count, I’m predicting 800 total summit attempts, so with 700 completed, that leaves around 100 to go, maybe less. Look for more from Madison Mountaineering and AAI, both of which moved to the Col today, targeting May 25 for the summit. Elete Expeditonas is re-targeting May 26 for their final team. Garret told me the Icefall Docs will remove the ladders on May 29, so the clock is ticking.
Nepal Permit Update
As of May 15, 2026, Nepal has issued 1,181 climbing permits to 142 teams across 30 peaks, bringing in $8.43 million US dollars in permit fees, with Everest accounting for $10.7 million. Everest climbers are from 55 countries. China has the most climbers at 109, followed by the U.S. at 77, India at 61 and the UK at 32. There are 105 female climbers on Everest this season. This is the current tally for the 8000ers.
| 8000er | Teams | Male Clients | Female Clients | Total |
| Annapurna I | 4 | 19 | 8 | 27 |
| Dhaulagiri | 4 | 18 | 12 | 30 |
| Everest | 51 | 389 | 105 | 494 |
| Kanchenjunga | 4 | 23 | 13 | 36 |
| Lhotse | 14 | 99 | 44 | 143 |
| Makalu | 11 | 51 | 21 | 72 |
| Manaslu | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| TOTALS | 89 | 601 | 203 | 804 |
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
The Podcast on alanarnette.com
You can listen to #everest2026 podcasts on Spotify, Apple, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Previous Everest 2026 Season Coverage Posts
- Everest 2026: A Few More Summits, Speed Runner is Climbing
- Everest 2026: Garrett Madison Podcast from Camp 2
- Everest 2026: The Western Team’s Turn, My Summit Anniversary
- Everest 2026: May 20 Summit Recap: 270 Summits!
- Everest 2026: Ski Descent and More Summits
- Everest 2026: Weather Alert and More Summits
- Everest 2026: May 17 Weekend Update – Climbers to the Summit
- Everest 2026: Ropes to Summit, Time to Wait
- Everest 2026: May 10 Weekend Update – Ropes to South Col, Everest Death
- Everest 2026: May 3 Weekend Update – Climbing!
- Everest 2026: Route In – With Risks
- Everest 2026: April 27 Weekend Update – Icefall Route In?
- Everest 2026: April 19 Weekend Update – 8000er Summits
- Everest 2026: April 12 Weekend Update – The Khumbu is Alive!
- Everest 2026: Are Everest Climbers Being Poisoned?
- Everest 2026: Climber Rescue Alert
- Everest 2026: Climbers to Watch this Season
- Everest 2026: North Side Closed, New Rules in Effect: Everest 2026 Season Update
- Everest 2026: Icefall Doctors Launched
- Everest 2026: Rumor Fire Season
- Welcome to Everest 2026 Coverage – An overview of what to expect during the Spring 2026 climbing season
Background
- Everest by the Numbers: 2026 Edition – A deep dive into Everest statistics as compiled by the Himalayan Database
- Comparing the Routes of Everest: 2026 Edition – A detailed look at Everest’s routes, commercial, standard, and non-standard
- How Much Does it Cost to Climb Everest: 2026 Edition – My annual analysis of Everest climbing costs, from solo and unsupported to fully guided




