Climbers Fear “Traffic Jam” On Mount Everest As Nepal Issues Record Permits

Kathmandu: There are worries that there could be a traffic jam when teams make their final ascent through the “death zone” to the summit of the world’s tallest peak since a record number of climbers are anticipated on Mount Everest during the current spring climbing season.

Nine climbers were killed at the summit of the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak in May 2019, during one of the deadliest seasons in recent memory. The deaths were attributed in large part to overcrowding and a large number of relatively novice climbers.

Any climber who wants to attempt Everest by the end of May, when the weather is typically still favourable, needs to have a Nepali government permit by that date. Between March and May, Nepal has issued 463 permits, breaking the previous record of 409 in 2021.

According to Garrett Madison of the US-based Madison Mountaineering firm, “the difficulties with more climbers on the mountain will be potential traffic jams on the climbing route, especially if the weather windows are few and far between,” he wrote in a WhatsApp message from base camp.

The Hillary Step, a 12-meter-tall rock wall located just 180 metres below the summit and deep inside the “death zone,” is where there is the highest chance of delay.

Eight of the world’s fourteen tallest peaks are found in Nepal, which is sometimes condemned by certain Western climbers for permitting anyone who can afford the $11,000 permit price to ascend Mount Everest. The government disputes this accusation.

The director of Nepal’s Department of Tourism, Yubaraj Khatiwada, rejected criticism of the number of permits given out and said that for the first time, a team of physicians and government officials will be stationed at the Everest base camp to oversee climbing activity throughout the season.