Spring 2026: $15,000 Permits, Record Crowds and Five Deaths
| Event date | Spring 2026 season (summary published 2 June 2026) |
|---|---|
| Location | Everest, South Col route |
| Type | Regulation and permits; season summary; climbing accidents |
| Permit fee | US$15,000 (up from US$11,000, the first rise since 2015) |
| Permits | 492 per the Department of Tourism figures reported on 8 May; 495 per Alan Arnette’s season summary |
| Summits | 1,008 in total per Alan Arnette; record 274 from the Nepal side on 20 May |
| Deaths | 5 on Everest |
| Verification | Verified; permit count differs slightly by source |
| Status | Season closed |
Nepal raised the Everest royalty for foreign climbers from US$11,000 to US$15,000 for spring 2026, the first change since 2015. The higher price did not reduce demand: the Department of Tourism reported 492 Everest permits by 8 May, a record, and Alan Arnette’s end-of-season count was 495. Everest royalties alone brought in about US$7.2 million.
New conditions came with the fee, reported as a mandatory Nepali guide for every expedition, a US$4,000 waste-management fee and proof of insurance that covers body recovery. A proposal to require climbers to have summited a 7,000-metre peak first was discussed but had not become law by the season. Waste rules tightened too. On top of the existing requirement to deposit 8 kg of garbage at Base Camp, climbers now have to bring at least 2 kg down from above Camp II, checked by a monitoring team stationed at Camp II. And climbers can no longer use their own poo bags: only bags issued by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee and the rural municipality are allowed, so each one can be tracked and collected on return.
A serac hanging over the icefall delayed route-fixing until 26 April. Once the route opened, the summit window of roughly 17–26 May produced about 80% of all summits, including a record 274 from the Nepal side on 20 May. Arnette counted 1,008 summits for the season.
Five people died on Everest: Lakpa Dendi Sherpa (51) on 3 May at about 5,200 m; Bijaya Ghimire Bishwakarma (35) on 10 May between Base Camp and Camp I; Phura Gyaljen Sherpa (20) on 11 May on the Lhotse Face at about 7,000 m; and two Indian climbers, Sandeep Are and Arun Kumar Tiwari, on 22 May while descending after summiting. Dawa “Hillary” Sherpa (52) was reported missing on 29 May and was later found alive. Despite the new rules, climbers reported tents, fuel canisters and food packaging abandoned at the South Col.
Sources
- Alan Arnette — “Everest 2026: Season Summary – Records, Crowds, Trash & Winds”
- SnowBrains — “Nepal issues a record-breaking 492 Everest permits in 2026”
- Alan Arnette — “How Much Does It Cost To Climb Everest? – 2026 Edition”
- The Himalayan Times — “Everest clean-up: New 2kg waste mandate begins this spring”
- Info Nepal Tours and Trek — “Everest Base camp 12 Days Trek”
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Written in Merolog’s own words from the sources listed; where sources disagree, each figure is attributed rather than merged. Spotted an error or a newer figure? Leave a comment on this entry.