Mount Everest has suffered “traffic jams” this month, as climbers battled harsh weather to make it to the summit.
Hundreds of climbers and their Sherpa guides signed up to scale the famous mountain in May, struggling against deteriorating weather on the world’s highest mountain.
Ahead of the end of the climbing season, at the end of May, a large number of climbers made the dash for the 8,849m (29,032ft) peak.
Due to the limited windows of good weather near the summit, large numbers of climbers lined up, attached to the single safety rope, which is known as the “Everest traffic jam”.
An influx of beginner climbers was also said to have contributed to the long queues.
“Overall on Everest, weather is the key and it was not same as the forecast, said Pasang Rinji Sherpa.
“And secondly, it was crowded because both professionals and beginners were there at the same time.”
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Pasang Rinji has climbed the peak twice. He said that only select or qualified climbers should be allowed to make the push for the peak, to make the experience safer and easier for all.
“Right now, there are beginners with no experience or knowledge and professionals at the same time, and this is causing the problem,” he said.
“There should be basic knowledge for the climbers to use gear properly and be safe while climbing Everest.”
According to Nepal’s Department of Mountaineering, 468 foreign climbers from 57 countries were given permits to climb Everest by the end of May – along with a roughly equal number of Nepalese mountain guides.
Six-time Everest summiteer Jenjen Lama said the weather was this year’s biggest hurdle.
“The weather was very difficult to predict, and the forecast would be great for the following day, but on the day the weather would deteriorate every hour or so,” he said.
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Although several climbers managed to scale the Nepalese mountain, the harsh weather made it too difficult for many.
However, famed Sherpa guide Kami Rita reached the Everest summit for the 31st time Tuesday, breaking his own record for the most climbs to the top of the mountain.
Queues on Mount Everest are not uncommon, with the mountain’s popularity among thrill seekers.
Thursday marked the 72nd anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.
