Tag: Everest Weekend Update

Everest 2024 might be remembered for summits, politics, deaths, ignored rules, near misses and disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct. It’s difficult to put all this in a headline, but I believe the Everest guiding industry is at a Rubicon – a point of no return.

Not to be lost in this mix is the joy and satisfaction felt by hundreds of summiteers. They worked and trained diligently to celebrate standing on the top of the world for only a few minutes. It’s funny how you can work so long for a goal, and the moment is over in a blink, but the memory lasts a lifetime—well done to all who summited, to those who showed up.

Once again, the Sherpas proved they dominated the mountain with impressive altitude performance. The Himalayan Database shows that between 1950 and 2023, 6,097 Sherpas have summited Everest compared to 5,899 members, and that gap is growing each year. However, more foreigners have died than Sherpas, 197 compared to 118. #everest2024

The week’s activity on Everest revealed significant issues for climbers. While there were hundreds of summits and several deaths, it wasn’t pretty. Some Tibet-side teams summited. #everest2024

The week started well, but when the winds picked up, as forecasted, teams took risky chances that turned deadly. Now, with a better forecast, hundreds of climbers are positioned to summit over the next few days. Tibet-side teams are in place and looking at summit plans. #everest2024

The first summiteers on Everest marked the beginning of the climbing rush. The rope fixers summited a few days ago, and over thirty-five climbers summited today.  Two climbers added to their summit collections to extend their records. Teams arrived at up base camp on the Tibet side, while a respected Sherpa sadly lost his life on Makalu. We’re now entering the summit phase of the spring climbing season. #everest2024

The biggest news from Everest is the lack of news. Typhone-force winds strafed the mountain like a summer hail storm in Colorado. Reports of forty or more tents were damaged at Camp 2. Despite this, a few teams continued their rotations, and more made plans as hopes increased the fixed ropes would reach the summit next week. The high winds of last week have calmed, and there is no typhoon activity of substance in the Bay of Bengal. Let’s hope for a May of long weather windows! #everest2024

Commercial teams have begun their acclimatization rotations with climbs to Camps 1 and 2 in the Western Cwm. The Icefall route is more complicated this spring, and some climbers take ten hours or more to reach the first Camp. The fixed ropes are now well up the Lhotse Face. As of this update, no Everest teams have entered Tibet. #everest2024