A record 269 climbers and guides reached the summit of Mount Everest from the Nepalese side on Wednesday, the largest single-day total ever recorded on that side of the world's tallest mountain, officials said.
The summit push lasted 11 hours as several expedition operators took advantage of a favourable weather window, Khimlal Gautam, coordinator of the Department of Tourism's field office at Everest base camp, told dpa on Thursday.
The record-breaking day on the mountain, which is shared between Nepal and China, saw severe overcrowding on the upper slopes. Photos and videos showed hundreds of climbers queuing up on a long snake line.
"It was a historic day," Gautam said, adding that congestion was natural given the high number of climbers. "At one point on Wednesday, there was a queue right from balcony to the summit. The department has been doing everything for good management through better coordination."
With Wednesday's record, the number of successful Everest summits in the ongoing 2026 spring season has reached around 600, according to Nepalese officials.
Nepal issued a record 494 climbing permits this season for 389 men and 105 women from 55 countries, generating more than $7.2 million in royalties.
The spring season was initially delayed by a serac blocking the Khumbu Icefall route and by unstable weather.
However, Gautam said the record for most summits over a single season could also be broken this year. Three climbers have died already on the mountain this year.
The previous single-day record for summits from Nepal came on May 22, 2019, when 223 summits.
The following day formed the overall record for summits from both the Nepalese and Chinese sides, with 354 summits.
Three deaths have been reported so far this season, including one at Camp III.
Summit pushes are also under way at several other peaks, including Kanchenjunga. Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 peaks above 8000 meters.
