Mountaineers are gearing up for the season’s first Everest summit attempt on May 13, if weather conditions hold, according to officials at Everest Base Camp (EBC).
Liaison officer Gyanendra Shrestha, a member of the EBC field office, confirmed that the joint rope-fixing team from the Expedition Operators Association Nepal (EOАН) is scheduled to open the summit route on May 13, with a favorable weather forecast supporting the push. The team will supply the necessary ropes from Camp II to Camp IV overnight for route fixing to the summit.
The EOAN team has already opened the route to Camp IV, and expedition operators are now busy supplying tents and equipment there to prepare their clients for the summit push from the South Col.
“A few climbers are also planning a summit push on May 13 alongside the route-fixing team,” Shrestha said.
Mingma G, Managing Director of Imagine Nepal Treks, said his team also plans to independently open the summit route on May 13.
“If the weather favors us, we will fix the Everest summit route on May 13. We are capable of doing that, and we will receive support on summit day we have a backup plan and supporters in place, whom we will acknowledge and thank on summit day,” Mingma G said.
He described the 2026 season as a challenging one for his team. The Khumbu Icefall route opening was delayed, and his team stepped in with a solution though not without controversy.
“The Icefall Doctors were at one point unresponsive to my team along the way, and many complained that we took too much risk and put everyone in danger. That said, most Sherpas and climbers are now happy with the route. Still, please be very careful in those dangerous sections,” he added.
This year, the Nepal government issued a record 492 climbing permits for Everest a figure that surprised even industry veterans.
“I am surprised, and I hope our government becomes more responsible. But someone has to take responsibility, and we are doing that to ensure there isn’t too much traffic and that our foreign climbers can enjoy more flexible summit dates,” Mingma G said.
