Kami Rita Sherpa urged the Nepalese government to limit climbing permits to prevent Mount Everest from becoming dangerously overcrowded [1].
The appeal from the veteran guide comes as congestion on the summit ridge increases safety risks for climbers. High traffic levels can lead to fatal delays in the "death zone," where oxygen levels are too low to sustain human life for long periods.
Sherpa, known as the "Everest Man," made the remarks after returning to Kathmandu from the mountain's southern route [1, 3]. He recently completed his 32nd summit of Mount Everest [1]. During this expedition, he said, "the expedition this time felt a bit crowded" [1].
To mitigate these risks, Sherpa said the government should restrict access to "climbers of quality" [1]. He said that a cap on permits is necessary to ensure the mountain does not become a "traffic jam" [3].
Safety concerns are underscored by recent casualties. At least five climbers have died during the 2024 season [2]. Among the fatalities were two Indian climbers [4].
The scale of the congestion has reached unprecedented levels in recent years. In one instance, 274 climbers summited the peak in a single day [5]. Such concentrations of people on the narrow summit ridge can hinder rapid descents, and emergency rescues.
Sherpa said that limiting the number of permits would prioritize safety over the volume of climbers attempting the peak [1, 3].
“"We need to cap the number of permits so that the mountain does not become a traffic jam."”
The call for permit caps reflects a growing tension between the commercialization of Everest and climber safety. As more inexperienced climbers attempt the peak, the reliance on Sherpa guides and the risk of 'bottlenecks' increase. If the Nepalese government adopts these restrictions, it could shift the mountain's accessibility back toward elite mountaineers, potentially reducing death tolls but impacting the lucrative permit revenue the state relies upon.
