Australian engineer Jason Kennison told his mother he would see her when he got back during a FaceTime call just before reaching the summit of Mount Everest.
He was achieving a lifelong goal by raising money for his favorite charity, Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, while standing on top of the world.
However, Gill Kennison would lastly see her son during that static-filled video call. The 40-year-old experienced high altitude sickness as he made his way down from the summit and passed away.
The spring climbing season, one of the deadliest in recent years, has produced 12 confirmed fatalities, including Mr. Kennison. Five mountaineers are still missing after it just ended. The deaths already outnumber the 11 fatalities that occurred in 2019, when a viral image of a long line of people waiting to reach the summit highlighted the overcrowding on the picturesque but dangerous terrain.
Three Sherpas perished in a serac or ice fall this year, and the other Sherpas became ill like Mr. Kennison. These victims perished as a result of the recurring dangers of climbing Everest.
However, the high number has brought attention back to overcrowding after a record number of climbing permits were issued in Nepal, and it has heightened worries about the mountain's vulnerability to the effects of climate change.
Locals in Nepal, the most well-liked starting point for climbers, attributed the unprecedented 900 permits to the pandemic's pent-up travel demand.
According to Garrett Madison of the US-based Madison Mountaineering company, the presence of so many people puts pressure on "traffic jams" on the climbing route.
When mountaineers need to reach the summit during a window of favorable weather, lines develop. They must stay clear of jet streams and other confined, powerful wind bands in the upper atmosphere. Inexperienced and unprepared climbers can also cause queues to drag on.
Climbers frequently use oxygen canisters to survive on peaks higher than 8,000m (26,000 ft), where the air is incredibly thin, but logjams strain supplies.
Swelling in the lungs and brain as well as excessive fluid production are side effects of high altitudes. Fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of coordination may result from this.
According to Adrian Ballinger of US-based Alpenglow Expeditions, which guides climbers from the China side, some Nepali companies have been bringing climbers to Everest even though they lack the necessary experience to negotiate the death zone.
Nepal's government is frequently criticized by some Western climbers for allowing anyone who can afford the $11,000 (£8,800) permit fee to ascend Mount Everest. Everest expeditions are a significant source of income for Nepal. This is denied by the government.
Each climber spends at least $26,700 on an expedition in Nepal in addition to the permit, including money for permit fees, gas, food, guides, and local transportation.
The director of Nepal's Department of Tourism, Yubaraj Khatiwada, dismissed complaints about the number of licenses issued. During a speech last month, he declared that for the first time, a group of medical professionals and government representatives would be stationed at the Everest base camp to oversee climbing operations all season long.
As long as the good weather window allows, summit bids will be spread out to ensure that the climbing proceeds as smoothly as possible, Mr. Khatiwada told AFP. "We are concerned for their safety and are well prepared to cope with the crowd.".
The danger of overcrowding was emphasized by Lukas Furtenbach, whose Austria-based tour company has brought 100 tourists to the summit since 2016. He claimed that his organization takes precautions to ensure that clients never run out of oxygen and that they have never had an accident.
If there are numerous climbers going up at once, proper oxygen logistics are crucial. According to him, many of the deaths that occur on Mount Everest today could be prevented with the implementation of minimal safety, gear, and logistical standards for all operators, he told the BBC.
Avalanches did not cause any fatalities this year, but they have recently accounted for about 40% of fatalities, according to The Himalayan Database.
The worst mountain accident in modern times occurred in 2014 when an avalanche claimed the lives of 16 people.
Warmer temperatures that have melted glaciers and created lakes have also presented challenges for climbers. According to scientists, temperatures on the Tibetan Plateau, where Everest is located, have risen by about 2C over the course of 40 years since 1979 as a result of climate change.
According to research from the University of Maine's Climate Change Institute that was published in 2022, glacier ice also loses its protection from the sun when the snow melts, which results in it either turning into water that runs off the slopes or vaporizing into the air because of strong winds.
According to the study, climate change will "change the experience" of climbing Everest as more bedrock will become visible in place of snow and ice and icefalls and avalanches will become more "dynamic.". Base camp, which during the peak climbing season houses about 1,000 climbers and a logistics team, could also become "destabilized" by melting glaciers.
However, there are currently no plans to relocate the camp. Sherpa leaders told the BBC last month that shifting it was not a practical solution.
Guides who have traveled through the area for years have found the shifting terrain to be unsettling.
They claim that the mountain has a different appearance each time they visit. As a result, where there was ice last year, there is now water, and soft snow has replaced hard snow, according to seasoned tour guide Pasang Yanjee Sherpa, in a podcast recorded after the 2022 spring season.
According to Ang Tshering Sherpa, a former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, this year saw unusual snowfall that usually happens during the winter months. As new snow is soft, this increased the risk of an avalanche, he claimed.
Impacts of climate change appear "remarkable and never seen before," according to Mr. Furtenbach.
According to him, we won't know for sure whether and how the Everest climbing route will be impacted by global warming for the next five to ten years, he told the BBC.
Significant milestones and dramatic rescues have also occurred this season. A Malaysian climber was transported by the Nepali guide Gelje Sherpa last month over a six-hour period from 8,500 meters above sea level.
Separately, the record-breaking 28th ascent by Nepalese climber Kami Rita Sherpa cemented his status as the world's "Everest Man.".
Additionally, a British man named Hari Budha Magar, a former Gurkha soldier, previously ascended Everest while wearing prosthetic legs. He is the first double above-the-knee amputee in the world to accomplish this.
Success and failure occurring days apart demonstrates the importance of thorough planning in order to climb Everest and endure the most extreme circumstances, according to experts.
People are drawn to Everest in large part due to tragedy, deaths, and drama. It is the planet's highest point, but it's also one of the most hazardous locations on the planet. According to Mr. Furtenbach, this combination draws people.
