How many people can Mount Everest handle? This question comes up a lot these days, as one success story after another comes in from the world’s highest mountain. Yesterday alone, U.S. mountaineering blogger Alan Arnette – who keeps track of all the commercial teams on Everest like no one else – counted 270 summits. According to reports, around 150 more were added today. That means that within two days, more than 400 people stood on the highest point on earth.
Miraculously, there were apparently no fatalities this time – which is almost the norm with such a rush. At least none have been reported so far, though there were traffic jams on the Lhotse flank and on the summit ridge.
Climbing Mount Everest without legs
Among those who reached the summit of Mount Everest today – at 8,849 meters above sea level – with bottled oxygen and Sherpa support was the Russian Rustam Nabiev, who pulled himself to the summit using only the strength of his arms.
Following a military accident – a barracks had collapsed at night – the former soldier had to have both legs amputated in 2015. In the fall of 2021, Rustam had already pulled himself up the fixed ropes to the summit of Manaslu at 8,163 meters.
Triple Crown for Tenzing David Sherpa and Mingtemba Sherpa
Tenzing David Sherpa – using bottled oxygen – achieved the so-called Triple Crown in five days. On 17 May, he stood on Nuptse (7,861 meters); yesterday, 20 May, on Everest; and today on Lhotse (8,516 meters). His Nepalese compatriot Mingtemba Sherpa took eight days to do so – also using a breathing mask.
Mingtemba had led the Nepalese team that had fixed the ropes to the summit of Mount Everest. He then guided Norwegian climber Kristin Harila to the summit of Nuptse and today to the top of Lhotse.
Harila with a breathing mask on Lhotse
Harila had actually planned to complete the Triple Crown this season – without bottled oxygen. After her successful summit of Nuptse without a breathing mask, she wore one today on Lhotse, as shown in the summit photo she posted on her Instagram story. She climbed the world’s fourth-highest mountain “in extreme winds,” according to the accompanying caption.
Yesterday, Irishman James McManus climbed Lhotse without bottled oxygen –accompanied by his Nepalese guide Chhiring Dhenduk Bhote, who likely used a breathing mask (had he not done so, it would have been communicated by the operator Seven Summit Treks).
On Monday, Anja Blacha – as reported – reached the summit of Lhotse without bottled oxygen – and without a Nepalese companion.