A team of 10 Nepali Sherpas fixed ropes and opened the summit route on Mount Everest at 10:25 a.m. local time on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, more than two weeks later than usual due to an unstable serac blocking the Khumbu Icefall route [1, 2]. The collapse of the massive ice formation caused a delay in rope fixing, a crucial step to secure the climbing path on the 8,848.86-meter (29,031-foot) peak [1, 2].
The Sherpas faced a tough challenge clearing the summit route for nearly two weeks before reaching the summit and completing the work on May 13 [2]. The annual spring climbing season on Everest typically runs from late April until the end of May, but this year the route opening was delayed well past the usual May 9 completion date recorded last year [1, 2].
This season, Nepal issued 492 permits to foreign climbers—an all-time high [1, 2]. With no permit required for Nepali guides and many climbers ascending with guides, the total number of climbers attempting Everest in the next two weeks is estimated to be around 1,000 [1]. Foreign climbers pay a permit fee of $15,000 under a revised fee system [2].
The surge of climbers stokes concerns of overcrowding and safety risks. Three mountain guides have died since the climbing season began in March 2026 [2]. Purnima Shrestha, a climber, said, "Lots of climbers [are] having to make their attempts in a short period of time. Delays in the opening of the route have added concerns of possible 'traffic jams' to the peak this year" [1]. Sherpa guide Mingma G Sherpa warned that "if the [next] window is limited, the traffic will be intense... Many of [the climbers] could get into trouble" [1].
China closed the northern Everest route on the Tibetan side to foreign climbers this season, funneling all foreign traffic through Nepal's southern route [1, 2]. The delay of route fixing, combined with the record surge in permits issued by Nepal, has heightened concerns about bottlenecks and safety on the mountain [1].
The next likely window for summit attempts depends on weather in the coming days. Climbers will be watching carefully to pick the best chance to make their push before the official spring climbing season on Everest ends in late May [1].
