KATHMANDU, Nepal — Mountain climbers achieved a historic milestone Wednesday when 274 people successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest in one day, marking a new single-day record, according to officials who announced the achievement Thursday.
The mountaineers capitalized on favorable weather conditions Wednesday, according to Rishi Ram Bhandari of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal. This represents the largest number of people to summit the mountain in one day using the well-traveled southern route located in Nepal.
Climbers can approach the summit from two directions: the southern approach in Nepal or the northern route through China’s Tibet region. In comparison, on May 22, 2019, the Nepal route saw 223 successful climbs while the Chinese route recorded 113 summits. However, Chinese officials have kept their route closed this climbing season.
Several individual climbing milestones were also achieved this week. Experienced mountain guide Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit for his 32nd time, surpassing his previous record. Meanwhile, Pasang Dawa Sherpa, his nearest rival, completed his 30th successful climb this week. Additionally, Lakpa Sherpa made her 11th summit, extending her record as the woman with the most Everest climbs.
The current climbing season started later than usual due to safety concerns about a massive serac threatening the primary summit route. Approximately 494 climbers along with an equal number of Sherpa guides are planning summit attempts before the season concludes at month’s end. The mountain stands 8,850 meters (29,032 feet) tall.
Since New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay first reached the summit on May 29, 1953, thousands of people have successfully climbed the peak.
