Everest records 456 south summits, five deaths

With the closure of the climbing season, at least 456 climbers, including 199 foreigners, stood atop Mt Everest from Nepal side while the world’s highest mountain also recorded five deaths this spring.

Data compiled by the Department of Tourism states that 199 foreigners from 29 countries and 257 Nepali climbers successfully scaled Mt Everest after nine rope-fixing Sherpas first stood atop the mountain on May 11.

DoT had issued climbing permits to 289 expedition members, along with 457 high-altitude workers representing 34 teams in the season.
Two Indian climbers – Balkar Singh, 19, and Stanzin Laskit, 18, were the youngest male and female summiteers this season, respectively, the DoT data shows. Youngho Heo, 62, from South Korea and New Zealander Lydia Margarate Bradey, 55, became the season’s oldest summiteers in male and female categories, respectively.
There were 45 female climbers who made it to the summit while Maya Sherpa became the only woman summiteer of the season from Nepal.
“The season also saw the longest summit window (May 11-16 and May 19-23) while all expeditions except a team of two Slovakians have their members on top of the summit,” DoT’s official Gyanendra Shrestha said.

On May 19, as many as 209 climbers scaled the mountain on a single day, he added. According to him, DoT collected Rs 177 million as Everest royalty after 129 expedition members used their extended permits of 2014/15.

Sources : The Himalayan Times 15th June 2016