Nepal Records Most Everest Summits in One Day

Why this is here: Climbers paid roughly 100,000 euros to agencies for logistics and sherpa support, in addition to the $15,000 permit fee paid to the Nepali government.

Nepal announced 274 people summited Mount Everest on Wednesday, setting a new record for ascents from the south face of the mountain. The announcement comes as some experts predict a potential “major catastrophe” due to overcrowding and dangerous conditions on the Khumbu Icefall. This glacier presents a chaotic and perilous route with shifting ice and crevasses.

Rishi Bhandari, secretary general of Nepal’s tourism operator association, reported the number of summits. Nepal sold 494 summit permits this season for $15,000 each, plus additional fees paid to sherpa support teams—sometimes reaching roughly 100,000 euros per client. The government has taken limited action to address safety concerns, such as increasing permit prices, but has not required proof of serious mountaineering experience from applicants.

The conditions on Wednesday—clear skies and low wind—contributed to the high number of climbers. Authorities in Tibet did not issue permits for ascents from the north face this year.

This likely increased the number of climbers attempting the south face route. The long-term effects of increased traffic on the mountain remain unclear.