Everest 2026 – The Irish Summary
From an Irish perspective (North & South), Everest had been climbed 92 times by 72 Irish climbers (10 women, 61 men), with a total of 168 Irish attempts to date by 107 different climbers. A full listing of all Irish summits of Everest can be found here. The 2026 Spring season was characterised by a massive delay in opening a route through the icefall due to the presence of a mega hanging serac along the route. However once the icefall opened on 28th April, things moved very quickly and extraordinarily smoothly, given the context. This season will end with the most summits ever (1000+) and with the most summits from the Nepal side in one day on 20th May. There have been massive queues and long waits during summit pushes with plenty of video and images of long lines circulated online. Regardless, a great many got to the top during a generous summit window, even though the instances of frostbite is likely significant. There were five deaths on Everest this Spring, four on the mountain itself and one trekking to EBC. From an Irish view, this has been a record breaking season with the most Irish attempting Everest [12] and the most Irish summits of Everest [8] in a single season. This season also saw the first Irish team on the mountain since 2019, while Adam Sweeney became the youngest Irish to reach the summit (age 22).
12 Irish climbers attempted Everest in Spring 2026, across 6 different expedition teams:
👤 Philip Collins (38) ✔
👤 Andy Nolan (46) ✖
👤 Jason Black (55) ✖
👤 Adam Sweeney (22) ✔
👤 Pádraig O’Hora (33) ✔
👤 Éanna McGowan (31) ✔
👤 Sarah Armstrong (31) ✔
👤 Diarmuid Morrissey (60) ✖
👤 Robert Smith (55) ✔
👤 John Roche (65) ✖
👤 Frank McCarthy (39) ✔
👤 Tomás Walsh (55) ✔
(✔ Summit | ✖ No Summit)
Note: Duration in updates below is from starting on the trail (i.e. Lukla) to Summit and down the mountain.
Black Mountaineering Team
(via 8K Expeditions)
👤 Jason Black (Donegal)
👤 Adam Sweeney (Waterford)
👤 Pádraig O’Hora (Mayo)
👤 Éanna McGowan (Dublin)
📅 Start Date: 3rd April
⏱️ Duration: 49 days
Acclimatisation:
Rotation 1: Lobuche East (2 days)
Rotation 2: EBC to C2 (4 days)
Max Altitude: 6400m (C2)
Highest Sleep: 6400m (2 nights)
Summit Push:
Start Date: 16th May (am)
EBC to Summit: 5 days
Summit Date: 20th May 🚩
Oxygen: From Camp 2 (8+ bottles each)
Descent:
Summit to C2: Descended from Summit to C4 to rest and down to C2 on 20th May.
C2 to EBC: Climbed down from C2 to EBC on 21st May. Took helicopter off the mountain same day.
Summit Notes:
Adam, Padraig & Eanna left Camp 4 for the summit late on night of 18th May, but had to turn back at 8400m in early hours of 19th May due to conditions on the route (ropes buried in deep snow). They returned to Camp 4 to rest and make another attempt, and were resupplied with food and additional oxygen. They left much earlier than normal on 19th May to get ahead of predicted crowds, and reached the summit in the dark just after 3am on 20th May. Jason had to pull out of the expedition a few days prior due to an ankle injury and was coordinating from EBC when the team went for the summit. From the top, they returned to Camp 4 to rest and then down to Camp 2 same day, before returning to EBC on 21st May. The team then took a helicopter almost immediately back to Kathmandu. Their expedition is being quoted in media as lasting 47 days, however the actual expedition time from hitting the trail at Lukla to summit and back safely to EBC was 49 days (3rd April to 21st May).
(This is the first Irish team [Irish guide + Irish clients] on Everest since the ‘Ireland on Everest’ team of Noel Hanna, Jenny Copeland and Seamus Lawless in 2019, all of whom stood on the summit together on 16th May 2019. Both the Irish team of 2026 (via 8K Expeditions) and the Irish team of 2019 (via Seven Summits Treks) used a local operator who supplied logistics, camps, food, oxygen and sherpa and both teams were a sub-team within that larger expedition, but with their own tent space at EBC and with independent decision making along the way)
CTSS Team (Western Guided)
👤 Andy Nolan (Cork)
👤 Philip Collins (Limerick)
📅 Start Date: 1st April
⏱️ Duration: 50 days
Acclimatisation:
Rotation 1: Lobuche East (2 days)
Rotation 2: Mera Peak (6 days)
Max Altitude: 6476m (Mera Peak x2 – Andy)
Highest Sleep: 6400m (3 nights Andy, 2 nights Philip)
Summit Push:
Start Date: 12th May (am)
EBC to Summit: 7 days
Summit Date: 18th May 🚩
Oxygen: From Camp 3 (8 bottles)
Descent (Philip):
Summit to C4:Descended to C4 on 18th May to rest for night.
C4 to C2: Climbed down from C4 to C2 on 19th May
C2 to EBC: Climbed down from C2 to EBC on 20th May. Took helicopter off the mountain same day.
Descent (Andy):
C4 to C2: Climbed down from C4 to C2 on 18th May
C2 Evacuation: Helicopter evacuation on 18th May to hospital in Kathmandu.
Summit Notes:
Philip Collins reached the summit on 18th May, becoming the 66th Irish person to summit Everest and completing the 85th Irish summit of Everest. He returned to Camp 4 to rest for the night and then down to Camp 2 the following day on 19th May, before moving back to EBC on 20th. On arrival back at EBC, Philip got a helicopter off the mountain. Andy Nolan made the decision to turn around on summit night at around 8200m as he was not feeling well, and managed to get down to Camp 2 where he was evacuated via helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu. During the long wait for the icefall to open, the team moved to Mera peak to do their acclimitisation there. Durign that Mera Peak leg, Philip picked up a GI bug and had to descend after 2 nights at Mera high camp, and was unable to summit Mera. Andy spent three nights at Mera high camp and reached the summit of Mera twice. Hence we have two graphs to show the slightly different journey of the two climbers within the same expedition team.
CTSS Team (Private 1:1 Western)
👤 Diarmuid Morrissey (Westmeath)
📅 Start Date: 1st April
⏱️ Duration: 50 days
Acclimatisation:
Rotation 1: Lobuche East (2 days)
Rotation 2: Mera Peak (7 days)
Max Altitude: 6476m (Mera Peak x2)
Highest Sleep: 6400m (4 nights)
Summit Push:
Start Date: 17th May (am)
EBC to Summit: 5 days
Summit Date: 21st May 🚩
Oxygen: From Camp 3 (8 bottles)
Descent:
C2 to EBC: Climbed down from C2 to EBC on 20th May. Took helicopter off the mountain same day.
Summit Notes:
Diarmuid successfully completed all acclimatisation rotations, and was ascending to Camp 3 (7200m) on 19th May during his summit push, when he was forced to turn back, citing exhaustion. He announced the end of his expedition shortly thereafter and returned to EBC on 20th May where he caught a helicopter off the mountain that same day.
AGA Adventures Team
👤 Sarah Armstrong (Armagh)
📅 Start Date: 6th April
⏱️ Duration: 47 days
Acclimatisation:
Rotation 1: Lobuche East (2 days)
Rotation 2: EBC to C2 (5 days)
Max Altitude: 6800m (Lhotse Face)
Highest Sleep: 6400m (2 nights)
Summit Push:
Start Date: 16th May (am)
EBC to Summit: 5 days
Summit Date: 20th May 🚩
Oxygen: From Camp 3 (5+ bottles)
Descent:
Summit to C4: Descended to C4 on 20th May to rest for night.
C4 to C2: Climbed down from C4 to C2 on 21st May.
C2 to EBC: Took helicopter from C2 off the mountain on 22nd May.
Summit Notes:
Sarah reported that she turned around on summit night due to waiting too long at the Hillary Step, after feeling frostbite in her fingers. She then decided to turn around again soon after to face back up, and reached the summit at 1:30pm on 20th May. Despite extra oxygen supply, she found herself out of oxygen at the balcony on the way down. She was helped to safety at Camp 4 and spent an extra night at Camp 4 recovering before descending on 21st May down to Camp 2. From Camp 2 Sarah took a helicopter off the mountain.
Adventure Consultants Team
👤 Robert Kelso Smith (Tyrone)
📅 Start Date: 9th April
⏱️ Duration: 46 days
Acclimatisation:
Rotation 1: Lobuche East (2 days)
Rotation 2: EBC to C3 (8 days)
Max Altitude: 7200m (Touch C3)
Highest Sleep: 6400m (5 nights)
Summit Push:
Start Date: 17th May (am)
EBC to Summit: 5 days
Summit Date: 21st May 🚩
Oxygen: From Camp 3
Descent:
Summit to C4: Descended to C4 on 21st May to rest for night.
C4 to C2: Climbed down from C4 to C2 on 22nd May
C2 to EBC: Climbed down from C2 to EBC on 23rd May. Trekked out from EBC to Pheriche on 24th May and spent the night in Pheriche. On 25th May took helicopter from Pheriche to Kathmandu.
Summit Notes:
Rob reached the summit with his clients on 21st May. This was his 10th summit of Everest, equalling the Irish record of 10 summits set by Noel Hanna in 2021. An incredible feat to have climbed Everest 10 times!
Madison Mountaineering Team
👤 Frank McCarthy (Kerry)
👤 Tomás Walsh (Galway)
📅 Start Date: 26th April
⏱️ Duration: 32 days
Acclimatisation:
Rotation 1: EBC to C3 (6 days)
Max Altitude: 7200m (Touch C3)
Highest Sleep: 6400m (3 nights)
Summit Push:
Start Date: 20th May (am)
EBC to Summit: 6 days
Summit Date: 25th May 🚩
Oxygen: From Camp 3
Descent:
Summit to C4: Descended to C4 on 25th May to rest for night.
C4 to C2: Climbed down from C4 to C2 on 26th May
C2 to EBC: Climbed down from C2 to EBC on 27th May. Took helicopter off the mountain next day (28th May).
Summit Notes:
Frank and Tomás reached the summit on 25th May. Both were back safely at EBC on 27th May and left EBC the next day on 28th May via helicopter to Lukla and on to Kathmandu.
(This was a rapid ascent program, hence late start and accelerated itinerary. Clients train in altitude conditions in the months leading up to the expedition to help shorten the time on the mountain considerably)
Mountain Professionals Team
👤 John Roche (Limerick)
📅 Start Date: 10th April
⏱️ Duration: 31 days
Acclimatisation:
Rotation 1: Lobuche East (2 days)
Rotation 2: EBC to 7000m (5 days)
Max Altitude: 7000m (Below C3)
Highest Sleep: 6400m (3 nights)
Summit Push:
Start Date: N/A
EBC to Summit: N/A
Summit Date: N/A
Oxygen: N/A
Summit Notes:
John decided not to proceed to Summit push after second rotation and left EBC thereafter.
Meet the Irish Climbers
12 Irish climbers attempting Everest this Spring were spread across 6 different expedition teams. Ages range from 22 to 65, with climbers hailing from 11 different counties across the island of Ireland and they include climbers attempting to become Ireland’s youngest and Ireland’s oldest to summit Everest and one attempting to complete a 10th summit of Everest.
Jason Black (55) is from Letterkenny in Co. Donegal. He owns and operates ‘Black Mountaineering’ and guided three Irish clients (Adam, Padraig & Eanna) on Everest this Spring. Jason reached the summit of Everest via the North (Tibet) route back in 2013, and in 2018 became only the third Irish person to summit K2, reaching the top shortly after Noel Hanna (Down) and shortly before Robert Smith (Tyrone) to make it an Ulster treble on one of the worlds most notorious mountains, climbing with Madison Mountaineering. In 2015 he climbed Kilimanjaro twice within 24 hours and in 2019 he took part in the ‘World’s toughest adventure race’ in Fiji. As well as Everest and K2, Jason has also climbed Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro & Elbrus and via his company he leads treks to Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Toubkal, Island Peak, Ama Dablam and EBC, among others. He had to pull out of the 2026 Everest expedition on the summit push, due to ankle injury.
Black Mountaineering began operating in 2022, initially offering trekking trips to EBC and expanding to Kilimanjaro, Mera Peak, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Toubkal and Aconcagua. This is their very first season operating on Everest and is Jason’s first season on the South side of Everest (his climb in 2013 was on North side). Hence the teams first journey through the icefall on their rotation, was the first time that four members of the team were in the icefall. Black Mountaineering utilised 8k Expeditions in Nepal who suppllied permits, camp infrastructure, food, group equipment, transport and Sherpa support, while Jason and his team were responsible for decision-making within their sub-team on the route. This is similar to the structure used by Noel Hanna from Co. Down when he guided his Irish clients within the Seven Summit Treks setup back in 2019.
Expedition Website:
www.blackmountaineering.com
Expedition Cost: €55k (~$64k USD)
Adam Sweeney (22) is from Dunmore East in Co. Waterford. He is a student and has deferred college for six months to prepare for Everest and is now the youngest Irish person and the first person from Waterford to summit Everest. In 2020 he cycled around the coast of Ireland while also climbing the highest mountain in each county that he visited, climbing a total of 13,147 meters and cycling 1,689 km in the process. In 2024 Adam took on his first big peak, reaching the summit of Aconcagua in February 2024 with Earths Edge. Later that same year he successfully climbed Island Peak and Ama Dablam with Black Mountaineering. He was a client within the Black Mountaineering team on Everest this Spring and this was his first time attempting an 8000m peak. Adam was fundraising to offset expedition costs via his personal GoFundMe (here), and by the end of the Everest expedition he had raised almost €6000 towards his expedition costs.
Personal Website:
www.irishadventurer.com
Expedition Cost: €55k (~$64k USD)
Padraig O’Hora (33) is from Ballina in Co. Mayo where he works as a liaison officer with Mayo Mental Health Association. He is a former and accomplished Mayo inter-county Senior Footballer and won Connacht SFC titles in 2020 and 2021 and National Football League title in 2023 with his native county. He retired from inter-county Gaelic Football in 2024 and began hiking and climbing later that year, climbing his first major peak in January 2025 (Aconcagua) and climbing Gran Paradiso and Mt. Blanc later in 2025. He was a client within the Black Mountaineering team on Everest this Spring and this was his first time attempting an 8000m peak. Padraig was raising awareness for the Mayo Mental Health Association during his climb and writing a diary for the Irish Times newspaper. Padraig was fundraising to offset expedition costs via his personal iDonate page (here), and by the end of his Everest expedition had raised almost €8000 towards his own costs. He announced in late April 2026 that he was raising funds and awareness for Mayo Mental Health Association via their donations page (here), however we do not have visibility of how much was raised.
Personal Website:
www.padraigohora.com
Fundraising Link:
Donations Link
Fundraising Total:
No data
Expedition Cost: €55k (~$64k USD)
Eanna McGowan (31) is from Dublin, and currently lives in Switzerland. He works in sales and marketing for Johnson & Johnson in Zurich where he has lived since 2024. Eanna was due to climb Everest via the North side with Furtenbach Adventures, but in January 2026 he announced that his plans had changed following news that the Chinese authorities were set to close the North side to foreigners this season, and that he had switched to the South side and switched to the Black Mountaineering team. His past climbs include Kilimanjaro, Matterhorn, Aconcagua, Denali (attempted) and Mt. Blanc (attempted), and he has also completed the Marathon De Sables, Kerry Way Ultra and Ironman events. He was a client within the Black Mountaineering team on Everest this Spring and this was his first time attempting an 8000m peak. Éanna was fundraising for ISPCC via his GoFundme (here) which raised €3700 by the end of his Everest expedition, with funds split 50/50 between the charity and his own expedition costs.
Personal Website:
www.eannaseverestjourney.com
Fundraising Link:
GoFundMe Link
Fundraising Total:
€3700 (50% to charity)
Expedition Cost: €55k (~$64k USD)
Andy Nolan (46) is from Charleville in Co. Cork, now living in Limerick. He is an adjunct lecturer and PhD student at University of Limerick. He was climbing Everest this Spring with the US-based ‘Climbing the Seven Summits’ (CTSS) team, and was part of their Western Guided team. Andy has been climbing since 2018 and is attempting to complete the Seven Summits (Bass list). He has previously climbed Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Denali, Kosciuszko and Vinson, with Everest yet to comlete. Throughout his Seven Summits, Andy has raised over €100,000 for charities including the Children’s Grief Centre, Irish Cancer Society and LauraLynn Children’s Hospice. For Everest, Andy was raising funds via his iDonate page (here) for Children’s Grief Centre in Limerick, with 100% of all funds raised going to the charity. By the end of his Everest expedition he had raised almost €9000 for charity. This was Andy’s first time attempting an 8000m peak, and unfortunately he had to turn around on summit night at around 8200m, due to lung issues. He was evacuated via helicopter from Camp 2 to Kathmandu where he was treated and has made a full recovery.
Expedition Website:
www.climbingthesevensummits.com
Fundraising Link:
idonate Link
Fundraising Total:
£8885 (100% to charity)
Expedition Cost: $75k USD
Philip Collins (38) is from Abbeyfeale in Co. Limerick, and now living in Québec Canada where he works as an electronic engineer. He was climbing Everest this Spring with the US-based ‘Climbing the Seven Summits’ (CTSS) team, as part of their Western Guided team. Philip has been climbing since 2016 and is attempting to complete the Seven Summits (Bass list). Everest was his sixth summit in the series, having also successfully climbed Kilimanjaro (2016), Elbrus (2017), Kosciuszko (2019), Denali (2022) and Aconcagua (2024). Philip was a client of Pat Falvey’s during the climbs of Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and Aconcagua, while the Denali expedition (2022) was via Alpine Ascents International. Phillip’s mentor for his Everest expedition was Pat Falvey who has been involved in his climbs since the start of his Seven Summits journey. This was his first time attempting an 8000m peak and he successfully reached the summit on 18th May, becoming the first Irish summit of the Spring 2026 season.
Expedition Website:
www.climbingthesevensummits.com
Expedition Cost: $75k USD
Diarmuid Morrissey (60) is from Athlone in Co. Westmeath, and divides his time between Athlone and Portugal. He was climbing Everest with the US-based ‘Climbing the Seven Summits’ (CTSS) team, as part of their 1-1 Private Western Guided team. Former owner of Direct Medical in Athlone, he has a long association with Buccaneers RFC in Athlone. This was his third attempt at Everest having previously attempted it with Mountain Trip in 2021 (cancelled part-way due to Covid outbreak) and Furtenbach Adventures in 2022 (got sick at Camp 2). He was attempting to complete the Seven Summits (Bass list), and Everest would have been his 7th and final summit of the series. He has climbed Kilimanjaro four times, Aconcagua twice, Elbrus, Kosciuszko, Vinson, Denali, Island Peak & Mera Peak. Unfortunately on the summit push, Diarmuid had to turn back on the way to Camp 3, citing exhaustion.
Expedition Website:
www.climbingthesevensummits.com
Expedition Cost: $80k USD
Sarah Armstrong (31) is from Crossmaglen in Co. Armagh. She was climbing Everest this Spring with the UK-Nepal company ‘AGA Adventures’. Sarah owns and runs a dental practice in Newry and a gym in Crossmaglen. She played Gaelic Football and Camogie with Crossmaglen Rangers and played Netball for Newry, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, and captained the Irish team to the Youth World Cup. Sarah began climbing in 2023 and is attempting to complete the Seven Summits (Messner List). She has now completed four summits, including Everest, Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua and Carstensz Pyramid and has also completed climbs of Mt. Blanc, Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kazbek. Sarah is aiming to become the youngest Irish woman to complete the Seven Summits. Sarah was fundraising for the Southern Area Hospice in Newry during her Everest expedition, with 100% of funds going to the charity. By the end of her expedition, her GoFundme (here) had raised £2815. This was her first time attempting an 8000m peak and she successfully reached the summit on 20th May.
Expedition Website:
www.agaadventuresltd.com
Fundraising Link:
GoFundMe Link
Fundraising Total:
£2815 (100% to charity)
Expedition Cost: $56k USD
Robert Kelso Smith (55) is originally from just outside Omagh in Co. Tyrone, now living in Fort William, Scotland. He was the Expedition Leader for Adventure Consultants on Everest this Spring. Rob reached the summit on 21st May to complete his 10th summit of Everest and 18th summit of an 8000m peak having previously climbed Everest 10 times, K2 twice, Lhotse twice, Manaslu and Cho Oyu three times. In total, Robert has climbed five of the fourteen 8000m peaks – the most of any Irish climber, and has significant climbing and guiding experience including 8000m peaks, Snow Leopards and extensive Antarctic climbing and polar expeditions to name but a few. His resume also includes 20 summits of Mt. Vinson, as well as climbs of Sidley (x2), Sporli (1st ascent), Shinn (5x), Tyree, Sublime Peak (x2), Branscomb Peak and other smaller peaks in Antarctica. He has also completed 7 ‘Last Degree’ expeditions to the South Pole!
Expedition Website:
www.adventureconsultants.com
Expedition Cost: N/A (Employed as Exped Leader)
Frank McCarthy (39) is from Fossa in Co. Kerry, and currently lives in Dubai. He works as a senior commercial operator turned strategic advisor, based in Dubai and working across the Middle East. He is attempting to complete the Seven Summits and has previously climbed Kilimanjaro (2013), Elbrus (2021), Aconcagua (2023) and Carstensz Pyramid (2026), along with an attempt on Denali in 2025. He has also competed in endurance events including Ironman 70.3. Frank was attempting a rapid ascent of Everest with the Madison Mountaineering expedition team this Spring. That involves three days from arrival in Kathmandu to reaching Everest Base Camp and an accelerated rotation schedule up the mountain in an overall 30-day program. See their Express package here. This was his first time attempting an 8000m peak and he successfully reached the summit on 25th May.
Expedition Website:
www.madisonmountaineering.com
Expedition Cost: $80k USD
Tomás Walsh (55) was raised in Galway, and now lives in Seattle USA. He is a Research Professor at the University of Washington, studying inherited breast cancer. Tom was born in London to Irish parents who then moved back to Inverin in Co. Galway when he was a teenager. He later moved to Seattle in 1997. He has previously climbed Aconcagua along with volcanoes in Mexico and Ecuador as well as various peaks in Washington State, including Mt. Rainier. Tom was originally booked with the Alpenglow expedition team on the North (Tibet) side, but when the Chinese authorities closed the mountain he switched to Madison Mountaineering, and attempted a rapid ascent program with the Madison Mountaineering expedition team this Spring. That involved three days from arrival in Kathmandu to reaching Everest Base Camp and an accelerated rotation schedule up the mountain in an overall 30-day program. See their Express package here. This was his first time attempting an 8000m peak and he successfully reached the summit on 25th May.
Expedition Website:
www.madisonmountaineering.com
Expedition Cost: $80k USD
John Roche (65) is from Rathkeale in Co. Limerick. The earliest mountaineering record I have for John is his ascent of Denali in Alaska in 2006, alongside Ger McDonnell, Pat Falvey, Clare O’Leary and John Dowd. In 2014 John successfully climbed Manaslu (8163m) and in December 2024 he climbed to the highest peak in Antarctica (Mt. Vinson). John has also climbed other peaks including Aconcagua. This season he attempted Everest with Ryan Waters and the Mountain Professionals expedition team. I am not certain whether John was with the Western Guided or Sherpa Guided team. He completed all acclimitising rotations up to 7000m, but ahead of the summit push John elected not to proceed.
Expedition Website:
www.mtnprofessionals.com
Expedition Cost: $75k USD
Everest Stats
Icefall Delay:
The main issue this season was the late opening of the icefall which then enables rope fixing above Base Camp and the setting up of camps at C1 (6100m), C2 (6400m), C3 (7200m) and C4 (7950m). The icefall doctors discovered a dangerous hanging serac or large block of ice on the route which rendered the route from EBC to Camp 1 impassable for a long period. Typically the icefall would be opened with ladders fixed and ropes in place in the first week of April. However this season the icefall remained firmly closed to all traffic until 28th April, which is the latest ever date for first traffic through the icefall to Camp 1.
On 28th April a team of mountain guides from the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal (EOAN) and icefall doctors from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) finally fixed the route to Camp 1 and pushed on to Camp 2. According to a press release from SPCC, the route established passes below the hanging serac.
“The serac has multiple cracks and may collapse at any time” the SPCC wrote in its release.
They concluded with the following… “Given the circumstances and the limited time remaining before the climbing season, the team had no alternative but to open the route passing below the serac.”
| Year | Icefall Open | 1st Summit | Summits |
| 2010 | April 6 | May 5 | 544 |
| 2011 | April 11 | May 5 | 553 |
| 2012 | April 4 | May 18 | 581 |
| 2013 | April 5 | May 10 | 684 |
| 2014 | April 5 | May 23 | 134 |
| 2015 | April 4 | None | None |
| 2016 | April 9 | May 11 | 679 |
| 2017 | April 2 | May 11 | 692 |
| 2018 | April 4 | May 13 | 821 |
| 2019 | April 5 | May 14 | 877 |
| 2020 | Closed | May 26 | 28 |
| 2021 | April 3 | May 7 | 473 |
| 2022 | April 7 | April 30 | 683 |
| 2023 | April 5 | May 13 | 681 |
| 2024 | April 17 | May 10 | 859 |
| 2025 | April 11 | May 9 | 852 |
| 2026 | April 28 | May 13 | 1000+ |
Summit Window:
If we look back at 13,730 summits from 1953 to 2025 on both the North and South side of Everest, a picture emerges of when most summits have taken place. 90% of all summits take place from 10th May to 25th May, 80% of summits are between 14th May and 25th May, and 60% of summits happen from 19th to 25th May. The initial summit window typically enables the rope fixing team to fix ropes all the way to the summit, and thereafter commercial teams will follow whenever weather allows. The past 15 years of data shows that the earliest summits of the season were as follows:
2010: May 5th
2011: May 5th
2012: May 18th
2013: May 19th
2014: May 23rd
2015: None
2016: May 11th
2017: May 11th
2018: May 13th
2019: May 14th
2020: May 26th
2021: May 7th
2022: April 30th
2023: May 13th
2024: May 10th
2025: May 9th
2026: May 13th
This year, the rope fixing from the icefall to the summit was much later than normal due to the fact that the icefall was not opened until 28th April due to the danger of a hanging serac in part of the route. However the rope fixing team worked very effectively and recovered most of the lost time caused by the delay. The impact to climbers however will be truncated rotations on Everest in preparation for the summit push, whereby many teams were not able to sleep at Camp 3 because camp infrastructure was not yet in place, and a great many teams did not get above Camp 2 at all prior to their summit push.
Everest Summits & Permits:
According to the Himalayan Database, Everest has been climbed 13,737 times since the first ascent by Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. The summit split is 9887 South (72% via Nepal) and 3850 North (28% via Tibet). Of the 13,737 summits to date, 48% were clients while 52% were guides. just 1.2% of summits were achieved without supplementary oxygen with 98.8% of those who reached the summit using bottled oxygen. The success rate for those attempting without oxygen is less than 5%. Last season saw 866 summits of Everest. This Spring is projected to break all records for permits and summits on the South side of Everest, helped by the fact that the Chinese have closed the North (Tibet) side to foreign climbers. Here is summary of total summits of Everest for the past 15 years:
2010: 544
2011: 553
2012: 581
2013: 684
2014: 134 (Icefall disaster)
2015: 0 (Earthquake)
2016: 679
2017: 692
2018: 821
2019: 877
2020: 28 (Closed – Covid)
2021: 473
2022: 683
2023: 681
2024: 859
2025: 852
2026: 1000+
Irish Summits & Permits:
12 Irish climbers attempted Everest this Spring, across 6 different expedition teams. This is officially the largest number of Irish ever attempting Everest in a single season. In total, 8 of the 12 reached the summit, which is the most Irish climbers ever to summit Everest in a single season. 2026 saw 494 permits issued to foreigners/clients which his a new record for Everest. If you combine those permit holders with their respective Sherpa/guides, there were around 1200 people attempting to reach the top of the world this Spring, with a few hundred more moving up and down the mountain to supply and build camps. Here is a look at total attempts and summits of Everest by Irish climbers over the years:
The author: Paul Devaney is a native of Longford, is co-founder of the Irish Seven Summits project and is an aerospace professional. He is an amateur mountaineer and has completed six of the Seven Summits and attempted Everest in 2014 and 2015. In both seasons his expedition was halted due to major incidents (Avalanche in 2014, Earthquake in 2015). Paul has climbed and trained in the Alps and completed climbs from Alaska to Antarctica and from Jordan to Ecuador. He currently lives in London with his wife Rima and twin daughters, and has been documenting Irish climbers on Everest & 8000m peaks since 2014.