{"id":49486,"date":"2026-05-24T16:52:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T22:52:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=49486"},"modified":"2026-05-24T16:53:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T22:53:44","slug":"everest-2026-may-24-weekend-update-nearing-the-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/24\/everest-2026-may-24-weekend-update-nearing-the-end\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2026: May 24 Weekend Update – Nearing the End"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What a week on Everest and Lhotse. The first Everest summits were on May 13 by the rope team, plus a few fast followers. Then the jet came in and stopped everyone, and when it left, well, hundreds summited, including a record 274 on May 20. I’m estimating there have been over 850 summit in total by members, guides and Sherpas. With only a few teams left, we are seeing the end of the season coming into view in breezy conditions.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Big Picture<\/h2>\r\n

American trail runner Tyler Andrews departed from Everest Base Camp at 8:25 pm local time on Friday evening to attempt to set the record for the fastest ascent and descent to the summit without using supplemental oxygen. You can follow him on his site<\/a>. They gave this update:<\/p>\r\n

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Due to the weather higher up, Tyler switched to supplemental oxygen. Today’s push is now targeting the 10h56m record with oxygen. He will attempt a no-oxygen attempt later this week.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Kristin Harila<\/a> summited Nuptse (7,861 m) and Lhotse (with Os) and is scheduled to attempt Everest next. It’s unknown if she will use oxygen. \u00a0She is climbing with Mingtemba Sherpa.<\/p>\r\n

In what the best teams do, honoring the mountain all who helped in their climbing effort, Mike Hammel, Climbing the Seven Summits<\/a>, posted this:<\/p>\r\n

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Yesterday, we honored our Sherpa team. The mountain is cleared of all our gear, and the waste is off the mountain. This is the first time the entire Sherpa team has been in base camp in some time. So it was time to party!<\/div>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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It was, quite simply, an honor to work with this crew, and much of our success can be attributed to their efforts. They are an incredibly cohesive team that honors the philosophy we\u2019re trying to create at CTSS. It is a long and difficult season for them, but they always go above and beyond and do their job with a smile.<\/div>\r\n
\u00a0<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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From our base camp staff, the kitchen crew at Lobuche, EBC and c2, to the climbing team, to the barista, the electrician, the porters, Big Tendi, Little Tendi, Sankar, GobInda, Sagar, and the entire KTM staff, we honor their incredible work. Thanks to the team from all of us at CTSS and all our climbers. It goes without saying, we couldn\u2019t do it without you.<\/div>\r\n
\u00a0<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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One of the reasons we aim to summit earlier in the season is to keep our climbers and Sherpa team safe. Late in the season, the icefall melts out, anchors pull out, ice towers move and shift, and everything becomes more dangerous.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n
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We are proud to provide work for hundreds of people in Nepal and inject huge amounts of money into the economy every year. Many of our team members depend on work during the Everest season to provide for their families. We will continue to work hard for those who work so hard for us.<\/div>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n
I like what Mike Harker said about his summit – this is what it’s all about for the people who don’t get it:<\/div>\r\n
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I summited Mount Everest on May 20, 2026, at 9:10 AM. Proud to be the first American diplomat to reach the highest point on Earth.
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\r\nEverest leaves you with immense respect for nature, for the climbers who came before, for all those who attempted, and for all those who never made it back down.
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\r\nIt also reveals the power of the mind. In the death zone, the mind is the only thing pushing you forward. I felt this acutely as I descended from the summit to camp 3.
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\r\nEverest doesn\u2019t care about who you are or what you think you deserve. But yet, there were moments on the mountain when, just as injuries or setbacks occurred, the right remedy or helping hand seemed to appear at exactly the right time.<\/div>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Summits!!<\/h2>\r\n

I did my best to track as many of the team summits as possible, but this is a particular life from this week.<\/p>\r\n

Sunday Summits – 50+<\/h3>\r\n