KATHMANDU — Hundreds of climbers, mountaineers, and officials gathered in Kathmandu on Wednesday for the Everest Summiteers Summit to address safety concerns during what is believed to be the most crowded climbing season ever on Mount Everest. The meeting comes after Nepal issued a record 494 permits for foreign climbers during the spring 2026 season, with more than 900 people estimated to have reached the summit.

Kami Rita Sherpa, a Sherpa guide with 32 ascents of Mount Everest, called for stricter limits on permits. "Nepal should only allow no more than 250 climbers that are issued permit to climb from the Nepal side. It will be good if the government was to limit the number," he said.

Adriana Brownlee, a British mountaineer and the youngest woman to climb all 14 highest peaks, said, "Every year the (Khumbu) Icefall seems more unstable because of global warming. Water underneath is melting faster, causing the seracs — blocks of ice — to fall much easier because of the movement underneath."

Nathaniel Douglas, a climber from Seattle, criticized the lack of experience among some permit holders. "So they really don’t understand what mountaineering is, like what it actually takes to summit Mount Everest and get back down safely," he said.

The Nepalese government is working on new regulations that will require climbers to have mountaineering experience. Currently, anyone can obtain a climbing permit by paying $15,000 to the government. Photos from this season showed long lines of climbers clipped to fixed ropes, waiting in traffic jams near the summit.

Approximately 3,000 people, including climbers, guides, and support staff, live on the mountain during the climbing season, which ends in May. Although Nepal enforces rules requiring climbers to remove their garbage, waste remains on the mountain. The final official number of summiters for the spring 2026 season will be released later.