Two historic records broken on Everest: Nepal between achievement and saturation

The 2026 Everest climbing season continues to make history with two new major records set in recent days on the roof of the world. Nepalese authorities and several specialized media outlets are describing it as an exceptional year for Himalayan mountaineering, marked by both unprecedented achievements and record numbers of climbers on the mountain.

Nepalese Sherpa Kami Rita Sherpa further cemented his status as a living legend by continuing his incredible streak of Everest ascents, while other climbers achieved new feats of speed and endurance on the world's highest peak. The season was also marked by women's records and several ascents completed without supplemental oxygen.

Nepal faces the explosion of extreme tourism

These feats come as Nepal has issued a record number of permits to climb Everest in 2026. Authorities have granted nearly 500 permits this season, a figure never before reached and which is fueling new concerns about safety and overcrowding on the mountain.

For several years, images of human traffic jams in the "death zone" above 8,000 meters have fueled criticism of Nepal's economic model, which is heavily dependent on commercial expeditions. Many mountaineers denounce the increasing industrialization of Everest, where sporting achievements now coexist with extremely lucrative high-altitude tourism.

Ever faster and riskier feats

The quest for records continues to fascinate the world of mountaineering. Ultra-fast ascents, oxygen-free challenges, and extreme traverses have been multiplying on Everest for several years, following in the footsteps of historical mountaineers like Reinhold Messner or the Frenchman Marc Batard, a pioneer of express ascents without supplemental oxygen.

But this constant pursuit of performance also worries several high-mountain specialists. With the massive influx of climbers, the pressure on the Sherpas, the risks of accidents, and the environmental problems linked to the waste left behind, Everest continues to profoundly transform, becoming as much a global sporting symbol as a laboratory for the excesses of extreme tourism.