Mount Everest summit rush: Long lines as climbing season begins
5:29 AM EDT, May 23, 2024
Incredible recordings are circulating online, showing hundreds of people climbing Mount Everest. All are lined up, waiting for a chance to reach the summit. The climbing season has begun in earnest on the world's highest peak, with a Nepali climber holding the world record, having reached the summit for the 30th time.
Mount Everest is the highest peak on Earth, officially standing at 29,032 feet above sea level. The eight-thousander is located in the Himalayas on the border of Nepal and Tibet. This year marks the 71st anniversary of its first ascent. In 1953, Edmund Hillary from New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a guide from Nepal, achieved this feat.
What was once an extraordinary feat is now practically commonplace. According to reports, this climbing season, over 450 people have reached the summit of Mount Everest from the Nepali side.
"Everest Today," a portal focusing on climbs in the area of the highest eight-thousander, posted an exceptional video on X. It shows hundreds of people climbing single file. Everyone wants to reach the top. They use a special 328-foot-long rope due to the sedimentary rock sandstone found in this area. In such conditions, crampons hit the hard rock during the climb.
Records and accidents on the way to Mount Everest
The fact that the world's highest mountain is now being climbed by many is demonstrated by Nepali Kami Rita Sherpa. The mountaineer reached the summit of the highest eight-thousander for the 30th time, setting a record. He managed to do it twice last year. He first accomplished this 30 years ago.
Queues on Mount Everest. How the video is being commented on by netizens
Netizens immediately began commenting on the video. Many believe that the daredevils are approaching the climb without respect and that authorities should introduce restrictions and limits.
"Definitely one of the last places I would expect a queue," "A disaster could happen here," "I hope everyone makes it back," "The joy of climbing has vanished."
Reaching the summit from the Nepal side costs as much as 30 thousand dollars. Authorities issue up to 900 permits annually.
