Everest 2021: Over 150 reach peak on the same day

Kathmandu, May 23

Government officials at the Everest base camp claim over 150 climbers have reached the peak of Mount Everest on Sunday alone.

After the new favourable weather window opened on Saturday, scores left the base camp for the peak last night, informs Department of Tourism’s liaison officer Gyanendra Shrestha, who is at the base camp currently.

“The number has not been fixed yet. Some additional climbers are also going up,” he says.

Shrestha says the climbers failing to make it to the peak today have to wait until May 28-29 to get another favourable weather window.

The department so far has issued Everest climbing permits to 408 members of 43 expeditions for this season. The number of aspiring Everest climbers this season is the highest recorded in a season so far. The figure is also more than half of the total climbing permits issued for a total of 16 climbing peaks of the country for this season. The department says it has issued permits to 742 members of 85 expeditions so far.

Several media outlets in and outside Nepal have reported a few Covid-19 cases at the base camp, but the government has rejected it.