Climbing the world’s highest peak is inherently perilous, a reality well understood by climbers and onlookers alike. Recently, four climbers died while descending Mount Everest, underscoring how risky the descent can be even after reaching the summit.
More than one hundred climbers attempted the ascent over the weekend, slowing progress on the route and bottlenecking key passages. The fatalities followed severe exhaustion and altitude sickness, and many experts say the delays on the route contributed to these outcomes by prolonging exposure to thin air and frigid temperatures.
These deaths have sparked questions about crowding on the mountain and whether limits should be placed on daily climbers. Yet delays were only one factor among several that raise danger, including weather swings, guide decisions, and the physical toll of high altitude.
At extreme elevations, the air contains less oxygen, making breathing and judgment harder. Other hazards persist, including unpredictable storms, bitter cold, frostbite, and hypothermia, all of which demand careful pacing and strict acclimatization.
Some climbers from the weekend did reach the top. Twenty-two year old Matthew Dieumegard-Thornton reached the summit on Saturday and noted that the number of climbers wasn’t excessive and that delays were manageable. He added, “As long as the climbers are courteous of other climbers on the mountain, everyone can work well.”
Sir Chris Bonington, who led Everest’s first ascent of the southwest face in 1975, has long argued for fewer climbers on the mountain at a time.
The grim milestone of 1996 remains the worst climbing season on Everest, when 15 climbers died during the season, eight of them in a single day.