International Everest Day is a good day to ask why so many are climbing Mt Everest these days

At 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft), Mount Everest is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas.

May 29 is celebrated as the International Everest Day, the day when Edmund Hilary (New Zealand) and Tenzing Norgay (Nepal) completed the summit in 1953.

The dangers of climbing the Everest

Though the pursuit to climb Everest is still raging high among the mountaineers , the journey has its own pitfalls. As per data, over 310 people have died while climbing to the top of Everest. The number of deaths have increased in the last 40 years as 200 people have died while trying to climb the Everest.

The most recent incident occured with Pakistani mountaineer Asad Ali, who was stranded at the Everest after dislocating his right hand. Though Asad has achieved great milestones as a mountaineer by completing several summits like climbing 5,642m Mt Elbrus, 6,862m high Aconcagua, he couldn’t escape the perils of climbing Mount Everest.

After being unable to complete his summit after getting an injury, he had requested the Nepal government to airlift him as he would be unable to complete his return journey with an injured hand. Asad was evacuated and provided medical care, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs' spokesperson said.

Why are so many people climbing Mount Everest these days?

Despite several mishaps and mountaineers losing their lives, many people still aspire to climb the top of Mount Everest at least once in their lives.

As per data, 6,338 people have climbed Mount Everest till January 2023. The maximum number of summits are from climbers from Nepal (1,756), followed by the USA (748) and India (526). 

One of the biggest reasons for increased number of people climbing to Mount Everest is improved technology. Mountaineers today have access to better and more reliable gear and equipment like tents, sleeping bags, crampons and ice axes. It makes it easier for the climbers to survive in the harsh weather conditions of Mount Everest.

When human beings don't spare even Mount Everest from dumping their garbage and plastic pollution. Truly heartbreaking. #stopplasticpollution #MountEverest #everest video by @EverestToday pic.twitter.com/zuuorrkADF

— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) May 29, 2023

Secondly, weather now has become more favorable for climbers to get to the top of Mount Everest. In the past, the mountaineers had to face strong winds, avalanches and high winds. But the weather has been more stable in the recent years, making it easier for the climbers to make it to the summits.

Moreover, there are experienced guides available today who hold a deep understanding of the mountain and can help climbers avoid dangerous situations.

Despite all of this, the Nepal government has banned the solo trips of mountaineers which had become a big worry for them.

Why did Nepal ban solo trips to Mount Everest?

In January 2018, Nepal government banned solo trips by mountaineers on Mount Everest. The decision was taken to reduce the number of deaths which had increased in the recent years due to large numbers of inexperienced climbers goin to the Everest.

As per the new rules, the mountaineers will have to be accompanied by a mountain guide (sherpa) and high altitude workers who accompany climbers to the summit.

Since Nepal is home to some of the tallest mountains including Mount Everest, there have been numerous incidents where solo travelers who had undertaken remote routes went missing, or died during their adventure.

Five years later, five years after banning solo adventurers from climbing Everest, Nepal’s government has extended the restriction to the whole country.

“The two main objectives behind the ban are to make trekking safe in Nepal and to create more employment opportunities in the country,” Nepal Tourism Board Director Mani R Lamichhane had said.

Though tourism and trekking contribute immensely in Nepal’s revenue, the cost of search and rescue missions that the government incurs each time while locating a solo trekker costs is huge.