Everest braces for record number of summit attempts

KATHMANDU: Nepal has issued a record number of permits to climbers wanting to summit Mount Everest this spring, an official said Thursday, prompting fears of overcrowding on the world's highest peak, reports AFP.
A record 373 foreign climbers have been cleared to scale Everest from the south side during a narrow window of good weather this month -- netting the impoverished Himalayan nation more than $2 million in fees.
Most attempt to summit the 8,848 metre (29,030 foot) peak with the help of at least one Nepali guide, meaning that more than 750 climbers will be heading for the summit in the next few weeks.
"The number of climbers issued with permits for Everest this spring is the highest ever," said Department of Tourism spokesman Durga Dutta Dhakal.
Heavy foot traffic was expected on Everest this year, with climbers forced off the mountain by the 2015 earthquake rushing to use their extended permits before they expire.
The busy spring climbing season on Everest was effectively shut for two consecutive years after a deadly icefall in 2014 killed 16 Sherpas, and an earthquake-triggered avalanche the following year claimed 18 lives.
There was a slight dip in the number of permits issued in 2016, but otherwise there has been a steady increase in the number of people attempting to scale the world's highest peak over the last decade.
The rise has led to concerns about potentially dangerous -- even deadly -- overcrowding on the mountain.

Everest braces for record number of summit attempts

KATHMANDU: Nepal has issued a record number of permits to climbers wanting to summit Mount Everest this spring, an official said Thursday, prompting fears of overcrowding on the worlds highest peak, reports AFP. A record 373 foreign climbers have been cleared to scale Everest from the south side during a narrow window of good weather this month -- netting the impoverished Himalayan nation more than $2 million in fees. Most attempt to summit the 8,848 metre (29,030 foot) peak with the help of at least one Nepali guide, meaning that more than 750 climbers will be heading for the summit in the next few weeks. The number of climbers issued with permits for Everest this spring is the highest ever, said Department of Tourism spokesman Durga Dutta Dhakal. Heavy foot traffic was expected on Everest this year, with climbers forced off the mountain by the 2015 earthquake rushing to use their extended permits before they expire. The busy spring climbing season on Everest was effectively shut for two consecutive years after a deadly icefall in 2014 killed 16 Sherpas, and an earthquake-triggered avalanche the following year claimed 18 lives. There was a slight dip in the number of permits issued in 2016, but otherwise there has been a steady increase in the number of people attempting to scale the worlds highest peak over the last decade. The rise has led to concerns about potentially dangerous -- even deadly -- overcrowding on the mountain.