Climbing the World to End Alzheimer's
Climbing the World to End Alzheimer's
Teahouses are buzzing, the trails are full, the yaks are loaded–as are the porters bearing unbelievable loads. Yes, the Khumbu is alive. But the weather is poor for some of the 8000ers. #everest2026
In this weekend update, I cover a lot of ground, primarily around misinformation regarding “Everest Guides Poisoning Clients” – FALSE. The actual issue is a large-scale insurance fraud scheme targeting trekkers (not climbers) across Nepal’s trekking circuits, involving fake helicopter evacuations and hospital stays. Additionally, Global Rescue will not provide longline rescues above Camp 2 this year due to a lack of qualified pilots, which will fundamentally change expectations for climber safety. We also look at heavy snow delaying summits on Annapurna and, of course, a status update on Ryan Mitchell. #everest2026
The media is going crazy with this headline in, of all places, People Magazine: “Mount Everest Climbers ‘Poisoned’ by Guides Prompting Mass Helicopter Rescues in $20 Million Insurance Fraud Scheme, Police Say.” The gist of the story is that thirty-two guides were charged in connection with the scheme, which impacted 4,782 international climbers between 2022 and 2025, on March 12, The Kathmandu Post reports.
But this goes back further, and the fraud appears to be widespread. However, the mainstream media has a few facts wrong, similar to the headlines around last October’s incident, which read “Hundreds of climbers stranded on Mount Everest amid freak blizzard.” Spoiler alert: In both cases, the victims were trekkers and not on Mt. Everest. But let’s look at the fraud problem in depth. #everest2026
I’ve been informed by the largest evacuation company, Global Rescue, that long-line rescues are unlikely to be available in the Himalayas this spring through their membership program. With an uncertain weather forecast, even though it is quite snowy at the moment on two of the 8000-meter peaks, the absence of this rescue technique could have serious life-or-death consequences. Climbers should exercise extra caution when above Camp 2 on the Nepal side of Everest and at similar elevations on all the 8000-meter peaks.
As of April 2, 2026, the Nepal Ministry of Tourism has issued 114 permits for 10 mountains, including 27 for Annapurna I, 18 for Everest, 20 for Ama Dablam and 7 for Dhaulagiri. Expect the Everest number to approach 500 over the next few weeks. #everest2026
Everest Base Camp is taking shape as two more of Nepal’s eight 8,000-meter peaks see climbers arriving at their bases. This year, there are several interesting climbers to watch beyond the hundreds of aspirants on commercial teams. Remember, China closed climbing on its three 8,000ers—Everest, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma—throughout all of spring. #everest2026
The spring 2026 Everest climbing season is just around the corner. The Icefall doctors are already at Base Camp, preparing to fix the ropes to Camp 2 in the upper Western Cwm. Many expedition teams have already sent Sherpas to reserve their traditional spots and have begun building tent platforms. In other words, the annual small tent city is taking shape. #everest2026
The backbone of every Everest season on the Nepali side are the Icefall Doctors, a team of highly skilled Sherpas who establish the climbing route and set the thin nylon safety rope from Base Camp to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm.
Today, they left Namache Bazaar for EBC, where they will receive refresher training under the watchful eyes of the Kuhumbu Climbing Center teachers. Next, they will use drones to scout the route and, around March 16, begin the laborious task of setting ice screws, pickets, v-threads, and other techniques to attach the rope to the moving ice. And of course, there are the ladders that are hauled to deep, open crevasses, thus providing passage for the thousands of trips through the Icefall this season.
In the Podcast, I introduce the season and review some of my background posts on costs, total summits and deaths, route figures, and more. #everest2026
With the Everest 2026 season about six weeks away, the rumor mill is on fire, out of control. With the explosion of social media influencers and mainstream (and many outdoor/adventurous media) using seductive, misleading headlines to drive revenue, i.e., clickbait, for the regular person who usually reads the headline, first paragraph, and skims the rest, misinformation abounds.
Of course, this is not new in mountaineering, as shown by the massively inaccurate media coverage of the October 2025 blizzards in Tibet that stranded hundreds of tourists hiking in an area near Everest, which was widely reported as “One dead in Qinghai, hundreds still trapped on Mt Everest slopes in Tibet due to blizzard.”
The media with the most incorrect headlines include Asian, Southeast Asian, Western mainstream, and Nepalese-based websites, as well as Reddit, YouTube, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Let’s look at a few of these rumors and try to set the record straight (not that I’m 100% perfect myself!) #everest2026
In this podcast, I speak with Scott Parazynski, who is about as unique an individual as you will find these days. Consider a small fraction of his achievements:
Five-time space shuttle astronaut, seven spacewalks, and a former NASA researcher.
Spent over 8 weeks in space with more than 47 hours outside on spacewalks, and traveled over 23 million miles in orbit.
Attempted Everest in May 2008, but was forced to turn back before the summit due to a ruptured disc while at Camp 3
Served as team physician for the Discovery Channel’s Beyond the Limit series for IMG
May 20, 2009, at 4:00 am, he successfully summited Everest
Visited the wreck of the Titanic
Conducted a scientific dive in the summit caldera lake of the 19,700-foot Masaya volcano, the world’s highest lake
Life-long SCUBA diver and accomplished mountaineer
Commercial, instrument, multiengine and seaplane-rated pilot with over 2,500 flight hours
I hope you enjoy the episode and perhaps consider reading his book, The Sky Below: A True Story of Summits, Space, and Speed.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
Welcome to my ongoing Everest 2026 coverage! 2026 marks my 23rd year covering all things Everest. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; if you’re new here, thank you for joining me. How Much Does It Cost to Climb Everest?– 2026 Edition is an exhaustive review of pricing and policies related to Everest mountaineering.
This post is based on publicly available information from Guide companies’ websites or direct contact with over fifty companies when prices weren’t listed. Prices typically but not always include logistics, gear, food, a Sherpa, oxygen, a mask, and a regulator. The list is not exhaustive and does not imply endorsement.
Prices shown reflect either the only option or the base rate. Some Nepalese companies no longer publish prices because of the number of options and the need for direct contact. Estimated prices for 2026 are based on previous data; accuracy isn’t guaranteed—please check with the Guide directly. #everest2026
Climbing the World to End Alzheimer's
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