Trending Now - Historic Day: 274 Climbers Conquer Everest's South Side
WHO:
ABC News - Kami Rita Sherpa scaled the peak for the 32nd time, breaking his own record for the most summits of Everest.
ABC News - Pasang Dawa Sherpa scaled the peak for the 30th time this week.
ABC News - Lakpa Sherpa scaled Everest for the 11th time, topping her own record for the highest number of climbs by a female climber.
ABC News - Rishi Ram Bhandari of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal confirmed the record number of climbers.
CNN - Rishi Bhandari, secretary general of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal
ABC News - Kami Rita Sherpa, veteran mountain guide, scaled Everest for the 32nd time
ABC News - Pasang Dawa Sherpa, scaled Everest for the 30th time
ABC News - Lakpa Sherpa, scaled Everest for the 11th time
WHAT:
ABC News - Nepal has issued 494 permits to climb Everest this year, each costing $15,000.
ABC News - Rishi Ram Bhandari stated that the number of climbers could rise as some climbers who had summited might not have informed the base camp yet.
ABC News - The peak can be scaled from either the southern side in Nepal or northern face in China's Tibet, with Chinese authorities having closed the route this year.
ABC News - This year’s Everest climbing season began late due to risks from a huge serac hanging over the key route to the summit.
CNN - A record 274 climbers scaled Mount Everest on a single day, the highest number to reach the summit from the mountain’s south side in a single day
CBS News World - 274 climbers scaled the Nepal side of Mount Everest in a single day
ABC News - The previous high was 223 climbers on May 22, 2019
ABC News - Approximately 494 climbers and an equal number of their Sherpa guides are expected to attempt to scale the peak by the end of the month
WHERE:
ABC News - The southern face of Mount Everest is located in Nepal.
CNN - Mount Everest, specifically the south side in Nepal
ABC News - The northern face in China's Tibet is closed this year
WHEN:
ABC News - The climbing season on the peak is expected to end by the end of this month.
CNN - The record was set on a Wednesday
ABC News - The previous record was set on May 22, 2019
ABC News - The climbing season is expected to end by the end of this month
WHY:
CNN - Good weather conditions contributed to the high number of climbers reaching the summit
ABC News - The climbing season began late due to risks from a huge serac hanging over the key route to the summit
HOW:
The Guardian - All but one of the climbers reached the summit assisted by Sherpa guides and using supplementary bottled oxygen. The Ecuadorian climber Marcelo Segovia summited while climbing independently and without oxygen.
CNN - Specialized high-altitude workers known as “icefall doctors” worked for weeks to remove a large frozen block, known as a serac, that was impeding the path to the summit.
CNN - Specialized high-altitude workers known as “icefall doctors” worked for weeks to remove a large frozen block, known as a serac, that was impeding the path to the summit
CNN - The route to the summit was unblocked on May 13, allowing climbers to proceed
(UPDATED May 21, 2026 17:46 UTC)
Kami Rita Sherpa has made history once again by scaling Everest for the 32nd time, breaking his own record for the most summits of the iconic peak. This week also saw Pasang Dawa Sherpa reach the summit for the 30th time, while Lakpa Sherpa achieved her 11th ascent, setting a new record for female climbers. Nepal has issued 494 permits for climbers this year, each costing $15,000, and as Rishi Ram Bhandari noted, the number of climbers may increase as some who have already summited might not have reported back to base camp yet.
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(UPDATED May 21, 2026 16:12 UTC)
A record number of climbers is confirmed to be attempting to scale Mount Everest this season, according to Rishi Ram Bhandari of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal. The climbing season, which has faced delays due to a dangerous serac blocking the route, is expected to wrap up by the end of this month, with the southern face in Nepal being the primary access point since the northern route in Tibet has been closed by Chinese authorities. Specialized high-altitude workers, known as “icefall doctors,” have been working tirelessly to clear the path to the summit, ensuring climbers can safely make their ascent.
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(UPDATED May 21, 2026 14:05 UTC)
A record 274 climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest from the south side in a single day, surpassing the previous high of 223 climbers set on May 22, 2019. Among those who made the ascent were veteran mountain guide Kami Rita Sherpa, who scaled Everest for the 32nd time, and Pasang Dawa Sherpa, who reached the peak for the 30th time. Good weather conditions and the efforts of specialized high-altitude workers known as "icefall doctors," who cleared a large frozen block from the route, contributed to this remarkable achievement.