Mount Everest record set as 274 climb Nepal's side of world's highest peak in single day

May 21, 2026 / 7:17 AM EDT

/ CBS/AP

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Kathmandu, Nepal — Hundreds of climbers scaled Nepal's side of Mount Everest in a single day, setting a record with 274 successful ascents, officials said Thursday.It was the largest number of climbers to reach the summit on a single day from the popular route on the southern face of the world's tallest peak.The climbers took advantage of clear weather on Wednesday, said Rishi Ram Bhandari of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal. And he told the Reuters news agency the number could rise since some climbers who reached the summit might not have informed the base camp about their feats yet. Everest can be scaled from either its Nepali side or northern face in China's Tibet.On May 22, 2019, Nepal's side had 223 and the Chinese side had 113 climbers on the summit. Chinese authorities, however, have closed the route this year.

Mountaineers ascend the Khumbu Icefall on their way to the summit of Mount Everest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 9, 2026.