Climbing Everest brings out a range of emotions—incredulity, awe, envy, and so on. But the most common emotion revolves around …  money.

I know a thing or two about both Everest and money. I summited Everest on May 21, 2011, after previous attempts in 2002, 2003, and 2008. And I’ve written many editions of this story (“How much does it cost to climb Mount Everest?”) over the last 15 or so years.

I often field two popular questions about Everest:

1. How much money is needed? As I’ve said for years, the short answer is a car, but the prices have skyrocketed, so now it’s a luxury car. Most people pay between $45,000 and $75,000. Some will pay as much as $220,000, or as much as $1,000,000. Prices continue to rise, so if you are on a tight climbing budget, go as soon as your skills, experience, and checkbook can support a safe attempt.

2. What are my chances of tagging the summit? Actually, they’re pretty good, assuming you have the appropriate experience and go with a qualified team. Since 2011, 61% of people who climbed above Everest Base Camp made the top, according to the Himalayan Database. In recent years, long-time Western operators like Jagged Globe, Adventure Consultants, Furtenbach Adventures, Madison Mountaineering, and others regularly put almost every member on the summit. However, those who believe they can show up and be “guided” to the summit by a talented guide are often the ones whose obituaries we read soon after.

That said, there are large variations in cost and expedition structure, so I go into detail below.

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Everest 2025 Climbing Costs: Higher Prices, More Summits

The headline for 2025 is that prices continue to increase for all Western and some Nepali operators on the Nepal side, while prices remain flat or have slightly decreased for most Tibetan-side operators. The increases are due to inflation, labor wage increases, higher pay for Sherpas with International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) certification, more Nepalese regulations around minimum salaries and insurance, and a strong client demand environment.

Several companies now offer luxuries never imagined for mountain climbing. These add-ons come at a price, and the upper end can be as high as $200,000 and even $1 million. Often, they cater to wealthy individuals who have more money than time and seek the summit as quickly as possible and return to work. This season, for example, we’re seeing the debut of the “one week Everest climb,” powered by xenon gas.

So, do you have to be rich to climb Everest in 2025?

With Nepal’s strong tourism business and high demand, Nepali companies are still open for price negotiations, but not to the extent that they have been in prior years. You can get on a low-end, essential services-only trip for $30,000. As for dealing with foreign operators, don’t count on a significant discount. It’s customary to offer a small price reduction if you pay a year in advance, but that’s about it. They fill their teams months in advance, so there’s little incentive to discount.

The following chart breaks down the current median prices (midpoint for prices with half above and half below this price) by style and route. I go into more detail later in this post, but you can see how much prices have increased on both sides for all styles. Foreign operators have higher costs than local operators, which accounts for the significant difference in the prices, but I’ll go into that later.

Current Median Prices for Climbing Everest in 2025

	NEPAL SIDE			TIBET SIDE
	2024	2025	% Change	2024	2025	% Change
Nepali Guide Service	$40,049	$44,086	+9.2%	$47,000	$47,000	0%
Foreign Guide Service with Sherpa Guide	$51,513	$52,967	+2.7%
Foreign Guide Service with Western Guide	$73,000	$76,000	+5.8%	$75,000	$70,000	-5.9%

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Where Does My Money Go?

There are four major cost components to any Everest expedition, regardless of whether you are climbing from Nepal or Tibet:

• Travel
• Permits/Insurance
• Supplies/Gear
• Guides

For 2025, there will be no significant changes to this cost structure. The following discussion breaks down expenses as if an individual wanted to climb without joining a team, but almost no one does this. As the numbers will show, it is just too expensive or risky to climb alone.

I know a few individuals who have climbed on the cheap in years past, but few in the last five years. I usually get a reply to this article saying, “Alan, you’re crazy. I climbed Everest and only spent $5,000.” Congratulations if that’s true, but chances are it was in the last century, was illegal (no permit), or on the North before China raised their prices and put in team size minimums. If someone can tell me how to climb that inexpensively in 2025, contact me with the details.

1. Travel: $500-$10,125

Travel costs depend entirely on where you live and how you like to travel. Flights to Nepal from the United States can cost a few hundred dollars to over $7,000 in Business Class. Many people use Thai, Turkish, Qatar, Air India, or China Eastern to reach Nepal.

Once in Kathmandu, you will fly to Lukla, Namche, or Lhasa to start the journey to basecamp, so add a few hundred dollars for this airfare. You could also take a bus to Jiri, trek five days to Luka, then continue on to Everest Basecamp (EBC) to save a little money.

From Lukla, it takes a little over a week to trek to EBC and acclimate, so add food and lodging for you and your support team. The trek costs can range between $400 to $1,000 per person. But, depending on your travel style and how many beers you buy, you can save money. Remember that everything becomes more expensive the closer you get to EBC, so buy batteries, toilet paper, etc., in Kathmandu, Lukla, Namche, or, better, at home.

Teahouses have dramatically increased their prices in Khumbu. You can still find the $7 per night teahouse, but expect to pay $5-10 for each meal. Climbers can always camp in tents and cook their meals to save money, but if you camp and eat in the teahouse, expect to pay four times the price if you don’t sleep in the teahouse; they make their profit from selling meals.

You must get yourself and all your gear—tents, food, oxygen, etc.—to basecamp. Most people use porters and yaks, which cost at least $20 per day per load but are usually higher, often totaling over $1,000. Large operators will hire helicopters and bundle the expense with the overall price. On the Tibet side, your climbing permit includes all transportation, i.e., a 4WD vehicle driven by an employee of the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA). In addition, the CTMA will meet you where you arrive in China and remain with you during the entire expedition, except when you climb above basecamp.

Travel: $2,525-$8,425

• Airfare: $1,500-$7,000, depending on class, routing, and excess baggage
• Transportation from Kathmandu to Lukla: $400 roundtrip per person
• Hotel and food in Kathmandu: $300-$700, depending on delays and quality
• Nepal Visa: $125 (90 days)
• Immunizations: $200

Getting to EBC: $1,240-$1,800

• Yaks to and from EBC: $40 per yak per day carrying 120 lbs (four yaks for four days minimum, or $640)
• Extra yak in China: $300/yak
• Porters to and from EBC: $20 per porter per day carrying 60 lbs (three porters for six days minimum, or $360)
• Tea houses and food on the trek to EBC: $20-$100/person/day (seven days: $140-$700)
• Park fee: $100/team

2. Permits and Insurance: $9,950-$29,500

Nepal Permits 

Note: Nepal will be raising the cost of its individual Everest climbing permit fee from $11,000 to $15,000 in September 2025. Presumably, Nepal will be increasing its permit fees for other 8,000-meter peaks, too. However, this will not impact Spring 2025 expeditions.

The permit simply allows a climber to climb. Whether you’re climbing in Argentina, Alaska, or Nepal, climbing permit fees help fund high-altitude ranger camps, seasonal staff, mountaineering information, and a clean mountain environment. When you climb Denali, for example, the permit includes helicopter evacuation for life or limb emergencies, but not for low-level sickness.

Nepal also requires a local company to organize your permit, which costs $3,500 for the team, including a refundable trash deposit of $5,000 per permit, and a Liaison Officer at $5,000 per team. These costs total $13,500 before the $11,000 per person (soon to be $15,000 per person) climbing permit. So, before you pay for guides, yaks, food, or gear, you must come up with almost $25,000 to start your climb from Nepal.

In 2013, Nepal implemented a rule that requires every foreign climber to hire a local Sherpa Guide. This rule remains in place for the 2025 season, but this policy is unevenly enforced, if at all. While it is very unclear how or if this rule is enforced for every operator, it adds a minimum of $5,000 to the absolute lowest cost. In 2017, one person who climbed without a permit was caught, deported, and banned from climbing in Nepal for five years by the Nepali authorities. Both sides are cracking down on unauthorized climbing, so beware.

Most guide companies on the Nepal side require at least evacuation insurance and medical coverage. One of the best investments you can make is adding trip cancellation to the policy, though this can be costly. In 2014 and 2015, when the Everest season ended early, those with trip cancellation/interruption coverage received 100% reimbursement for their trip expenses, with some claims reaching as high as $45,000.

Several companies cover medical evacuations from the injury site to a local or home medical facility. Some also cover trip cancellations, while others offer medical insurance. These policies have become quite costly in 2025, so it’s wise to shop around. Many operators negotiate discounts with these companies if you access their website through your guide’s site or by calling them. Excellent insurance options include Travelex, Global Rescue, Redpoint Ripcord Rescue Travel Protection, AIG Travel Guard, and International Medical Group’s TravelLX.

To save money, join the American Alpine Club, which will provide $7,500 in evacuation coverage to a local hospital and, optionally, up to $300,000 to get you back home. These are bargains at $65/year and $250/year, respectively. Most people upgrade that basic coverage for a few hundred dollars.

To be covered by all these policies, you must follow their rules strictly—and I mean to a tee. If you make one misstep, the policy will not cover your expenses. Also, most do not cover searches if you get lost, and those who offer coverage have low limits.

Tibet Permits

An Everest climbing permit from China (the North side) costs between $15,800 and $18,000 per person for a team permit of four or more. This price includes transportation from the entry point in China (usually Lhasa or Zhangmu–Kodari) to basecamp, hotels, a liaison officer, a trash fee, five yaks in, and four yaks out per member. In addition, there is an extra charge of $200 per day per person for time spent in Lhasa. If you want to bring a Nepali Sherpa to climb with you in Tibet, budget an additional $4,500 for each Sherpa’s “work permit,” as required by the CTMA, plus a salary of $5,000.

The Tibet side is more complicated when it comes to evacuation insurance since a centralized team performs all on-mountain rescues. The rescued climber is responsible for an unspecified and unlimited fee. Helicopter rescues are not allowed, but are rumored to begin in the next few years, maybe by 2026. When climbing in China, it’s wise to double-check everything with your provider and evacuation coverage company to understand the details.

Climbing Fees: $20,600-$25,650 (for Nepal side)

• The Nepal Agency fee: $2,500 per team (usually included in the total price from a guide)
• Nepalese Liaison Officer: $5,000/team (usually included in the total price from a guide)
• South basecamp medical support from Everest ER: $100/person
• Nepal permits: $11,000 for each climber, regardless of team size
• Chinese permits: $15,800-$18,000 per person for teams of four or more, plus $4,500 for each Nepali Sherpa
• Nepal garbage and human waste deposit: $4,000/team permit (refundable, but not always)
• Tibet garbage and human waste deposit: $4,000/team permit (refundable, but not always)
• Icefall doctors to fix route: $2,500/team or $600 per climber
• Contribution to fixed ropes above icefall: $200/climber, higher on the Tibet side
• Weather forecast $0 to $1,000
• Puja ceremony (required): $300

Insurance: $70-$3,000

• Evacuation insurance: $70 (American Alpine Club) or ~$500 (Global Rescue/Travelex)
• Medical insurance only: $500
• Rescue insurance for any reason with medical insurance and trip cancellation coverage: $3,000 to $15,000 (Travelex)
• Private pay helicopter evacuation from Everest South: $5,000-$20,000, depending on start and end locations (not available in Tibet)
• All insurance figures are representative and vary widely with age, length of trip, and total cost

3. Supplies/Gear: $5,000-$30,000

You must eat and stay warm, and 98% of all Everest summiteers use supplemental oxygen. You can cook your food, but most use a cook and helpers, costing $5,000 for basecamp and budgeting about $800 per person for food and fuel while climbing Everest over six weeks.

Supplemental oxygen costs about $600 per bottle, with a minimum of five bottles totaling $3,000. You will also need a mask, which costs $500, and a regulator, which costs another $500. You can carry your extra oxygen to the high camps, but most people use the Sherpas to cache it there. When hiring a personal Sherpa, the standard is for the Sherpa to climb on oxygen, albeit at a lower flow rate, which will cost an additional $4,000 to $10,000.

Finally, you will need climbing gear, including 8000-meter boots, a down suit, clothing layers, gloves, sleeping bags, packs, and more. If you buy everything new at the list price, these items will cost at least $19,000. High-altitude boots from La Sportiva or Millet run $1,200, a full-down suit from Feathered Friends or Mountain Hardwear costs over $2,000, and a sleeping bag rated to -20F costs at least $1,000.

You can often find lightly used climbing gear on eBay or less expensive gear in Kathmandu. I recommend buying boots at home so you can get the correct size. Remember that your feet will swell by at least a full size at high altitudes, so buy your boots and try them on at home with your climbing socks to test the fit before leaving for the climb.

Miscellaneous: $14,450-$23,000

• Full medical kit: $1,000-$1,500, plus $2,800 for Gamow Bag (a hyperbaric bag for altitude sickness)
• Sherpas, cook tips, and a bonus of $450: >$4,000 per individual, depending on performance and summit
• Personal gear (down suit, high-altitude boots, sleeping bags, etc.): $9,000
• Satellite phone: $1,000-$3,000, depending on usage
• Gear allowance for Sherpas: $3,000

EBC and High Camps: $3,800-$8,800

• Tents: $3,000 new (sleeping, cooking, toilet, and storage at four camps for three people)
• Cooks: $5,000 per cook and assistant for six weeks
• Food and fuel: $800 per person for six weeks

Climbing Support: $4,000-$15,000

• Oxygen: $600/bottle (five bottles) = $3,000 (doesn’t include costs to take to high camps)
• Oxygen mask (Summit Oxygen): $500
• Oxygen regulator: $500
• Climbing Sherpa: $5,000-$9,000 per personal Sherpa with oxygen at $3,000

4. Logistics Support (i.e., Professional Guides): $30,000-$85,000

As implied above, managing all the costs can be overwhelming. But don’t despair!

You can join a fully supported or guided team that takes care of everything. For decades, western operators like Adventure Consultants, Alpine Ascents (AAI), Jagged Globe, Himalayan Experience (Himex), International Mountain Guides (IMG), and others have guided Everest for prices ranging from $40,000 to $65,000, all-inclusive.

But the dominance of Western guides is changing. There has been intense competition from Nepali-owned and operated companies in the last few years. With many Sherpas that have summited Everest 10 or more times, they advertise themselves as Everest guides and eliminate the traditional Western guide (each of whom typically earns between $10,000 and $25,000 for the season). This cost-saving is passed through to clients. In the last few years, Sherpas have begun earning salaries similar to Westerners, so the price gap has narrowed.

Many lead Sherpas now have a subset (no ski qualification, for example) of the IFMGA certification—and have more summits than many Western guides. This certification allows the Sherpas to earn up to $10,000 per season compared to the $4,000-$5,000 they previously made. The cost of the Nepali companies is rising as more and more Sherpas become certified. But some Nepali operators still have a practice of underpaying their staff and then charging clients half as much as traditional Western operators. (For instance, in 2021, Seven Summits Treks reportedly offered their Everest expedition for as low as $28,000 per climber.) Also, bartering is more widely accepted among Nepali guides, who sometimes privately negotiate and provide discounts—something that few foreign operators will do.

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2025 Expedition Price Chart

Drawing on this background information and data available on public websites, I have compiled a list of 2025 Everest fees from the major Everest guide companies. Calculating summit successes, I looked back at recent summit rates, their websites, and the Himalayan Database.

Note: This list is not comprehensive; some guides are not included, and I did not look at smaller operators or operators who don’t run climbs every year. I’m not making endorsements by including or excluding a company from the list. It should be used for initial reference only. For confirmation, details, or questions, please consult each operator directly.

(Also: the term “member” here is used to describe paying clients.)

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Types of Guided Expeditions

There are no requirements to call yourself a guide in Nepal. Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism calls every Sherpa a Sherpa Guide, regardless of their training or experience. However, this is slowly changing as more Sherpas take basic climbing and first aid course at the Khumbu Climbing Center.

There are three options for supported climbs: 1) Sherpa-supported expedition, 2) Sherpa-guided expedition, or 3) a Western (foreign) guided commercial expedition.

Note: Almost every foreign guiding company offers multiple options today, ranging from Sherpa-guided/supported to Western-guided to private climbs. Most companies also offer climbs just to Camp Two or the North Col to climbers less interested in making the summit than just being on the mountain.

Sherpa-supported Expedition

(Please note that the term “Sherpa-supported” does not constitute a guided expedition, which is what most Nepali-owned companies offer.)

For about $45,000, you can climb on a Sherpa-supported expedition. The cost is about 5% higher than last year. The company organizes all the logistics: food, group gear, transportation, and Sherpa support, but does not provide Western guides or, in some cases, even a lead Sherpa guide. The Sherpas may or may not speak English very well and will most likely let you make on-mountain decisions about when to push forward or turn back. In other words: You are fully responsible for your safety and life.

You must be extremely careful when selecting amongst these companies: Some are excellent, others are lacking. A Sherpa will climb with you on summit night, but you might be on your own, or with random teammates, throughout the rest of the acclimatization climbing process, including preparing meals at the high camps. It is pretty common to find yourself climbing only with a Sherpa or even by yourself. The Sherpas may have attended a climbing school, like the Khumbu Climbing Center, which is excellent, but they will usually lack basic medical training and may not be capable of offering significant help in a health crisis other than getting you lower—a step that, of course, is substantial and often lifesaving.

Expect to pay between $35,000 and $45,000 for this option, which is suitable for climbers with significant high-altitude experience. It is absolutely not for novices or for climbers embarking on their first 8,000-meter peak.

Sherpa-guided Expedition

International Mountain Guides (IMG) Classic Everest Climb is a Sherpa-guided expedition in which an experienced Sherpa leads climbers throughout the route. IMG charges $54,000 for this model. Climbing The Seven Summits offers a similar program for $55,000. Both companies have increased their prices over time. Less than a decade ago, IMG charged $40,000, but it has passed rising fees and costs on to its clients. Usually, this model uses highly experienced senior Sherpa—also known as a Sirdar—to make big decisions, such as when to go for the summit or turn around. Meanwhile, these companies often have a Westerner overseer who stays at basecamp.

Another option is to hire a personal Sherpa for an additional $5,000 to $10,000, (plus 5% to 20% for tips and bonuses). These Sherpas have significant experience and training in dealing one-to-one with Western climbers, and their English skills are usually excellent. While they will not carry all your gear, they may offload some of your items on occasion. They will be with you exclusively on your summit night, even if you decide to turn around before the summit. As with the Sherpas on Sherpa-supported expeditions, these personal Sherpas may lack medical training, but you will never climb alone.

This style is appropriate for climbers with previous 8,000-meter experience and strong climbing skills, but is not for novices. I used this model with IMG and Kami Sherpa in 2011 for my successful summit bid and was very pleased.

Western Commercial Guides

The Western-guided expeditions are full-service trips and are most appropriate for first-time Everest climbers or anyone looking for maximum levels of support. The cost varies widely, ranging from $70,000 to $100,000. The fee includes all the services of a Sherpa-guided climb plus sharing one or more Western guides. If you want a personal Western guide, expect to pay at least $120,000, plus tips and bonuses, which add up close to $175,000.

The primary point of this approach is that you are climbing close to a Western guide who has probably summited Everest several times. There is no language barrier and the guide will have some wilderness medical training. The guide will make all the decisions about turnaround times, weather, and emergency management.

On these higher-end expeditions, you will also have high-quality food, ranging from well-prepared to exotic. (One service likes to promote their sushi, another their five-star chef.) Then there are espresso machines and open bars. The sky is the limit, but it all comes at a cost. The most expensive guide companies (Adventure Consultants, AAI, Alpenglow, Furtenbach, CTSS, Madison, etc.) always come with several Western guides, and you never climb alone.

Luxury guides

Seven Summits Treks: Catering to the China market, Seven Summits Treks has raised the luxury level with their VIP Everest Expedition. A few years ago the cost was around $130,000, but likely clocks in closer to $200,000 now. The expedition includes private camp facilities (luxurious dining, communication, medical dome tent, WiFi-enabled workspace, sleeping tent with King-size bed, kitchen, hot shower, and toilet at basecamp); a helicopter that supplies fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, mineral water, and other food items almost every day; a two-hour helicopter flight around Mount Everest for filming and panoramic views; 12 bottles of supplementary oxygen per member; a rescue team of Sherpas standing by at Camp II for emergency and rescue purposes; and a documentary movie of the entire trip.

Furtenbach Adventures Signature Everest Expedition: Another top-end option is from Austrian-based Furtenbach Adventures. In addition to their typical high-service standard trip, clients of the Signature Expedition (who pay €200,000 or $203,200), get full support from the expedition’s preparation phase to the summit, including “private mentoring from Lukas Furtenbach,” a “personalized training plan put together by a professional sports physiologist,” a “personalized nutrition plan,” support from two personal climbing Sherpas, an unlimited supply of oxygen, and an 80 square meter heated tent with a private bathroom in basecamp, among other amenities. Furtenbach also now offers a xenon gas-powered climb that costs $150,000.

Climbing the Seven Summits’ Everest Executive Domes Upgrade: As part of its suite of climbing services, Climbing the Seven Summits gives its clients the option to upgrade to hotel-like domes kitted out with heaters, queen-sized beds, “windows with curtains to take in the epic views,” private WiFi-enabled workspaces, and “morning beverage service.”

Rapid Climbs

A relatively new option offered by many foreign guides and a few Nepali ones is a fast climb, which takes one to four weeks. The primary market is people who can spend well over $100,000 but cannot be away from work for more than a month. Alpenglow and Furtenbach have been the most aggressive with this model, but others offer it.

The idea is that by minimizing your time on the mountain, you conserve energy and risk to illness. Using an altitude tent 30 days before leaving home, you arrive at basecamp acclimatized to 17,000-feet. Thus you eliminate one or more acclimatization rotations, increasing your chances of summiting.

The package usually includes pre-acclimatizing in an altitude tent, an AMGA/IFMGA guide, virtually unlimited oxygen flowing up to 8 lpm in some cases, and plenty of Sherpa support. Unfortunately, all of this extra support drives the price up.

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Common Everest Questions

Do I have to take one of the standard routes?

No. You can get a permit to climb any of the 20 named routes on Everest or make up your own. If you want to traverse from Nepal to Tibet or the other way, you will need to get permits from both countries; however, China has refused to issue permission from their side for many years now. In 2017, a climber illegally made the traverse and was deported and banned for five years. He claimed it was a medical emergency.

Can I climb Everest alone?

Officially, no. Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism requires every climber to hire a Sherpa guide. The CTMA has a similar requirement. But like everything around Everest, there are exceptions, and most rules are never enforced.

What is the minimum amount of money I can spend to climb Everest?

As previously addressed, it is almost impossible to climb Everest entirely alone on the standard route. However, you can climb independently with no oxygen, Sherpa, or cook support, using ladders and ropes on the south side. For one person, this would cost at least $25,000. Even splitting group expenses, the base costs add up to $26,000 per person for a seven-person team. When you add in oxygen and basecamp support, a one-person climb with Sherpa support approaches $45,000, but a seven-person team leveraging the group costs comes in at $37,000.

What is the difference between a $45K and a $75K Everest climb?

There is a real difference in offerings by some companies and very little with others, so it’s up to the climber to shop wisely.

The general rule is that the lower the price, the larger the team. At the high end, profit, overhead, and the number of Western guides drive up the price. The less expensive outfits promote a low price, but charge for other not-so-optional “options,” such as oxygen, Sherpa support, and food above basecamp.

Another common practice is to pay support staff the absolute minimum, whereas the guide companies pay a livable wage for their entire team.

One well-known, low-cost operator had all their tents destroyed one year and had no backup tents, so they had to beg other operators for spares. They also ran out of food.

An example of price confusion is Sherpa’s bonuses. A low-cost service may not include a bonus, whereas another may. For instance, one Nepali company asks the climber to pay $1,500 to their Sherpa if they reach the South Col and another $500 if they leave for the summit. The tips are in addition to the base price. But a different company includes these bonuses in their overall package. It is customary to tip your guides (both Sherpa and Western).

How many people have summited Everest?

The Himalayan Database reports that through January 2025, there have been 12,884 summits across 7,269 climbers. Among those climbers, 1,670 Climbers and 2,003 Sherpas have summited multiple times. Women have achieved 962 summits.

The Nepal side is more popular than the Tibet side, with 9,156 summits vs 3,728 summits. Only 229 climbers have summited without supplemental oxygen (about 1.7%). Only 35 climbers have traversed from one side to the other.

The success rate of non-guide climbers stands at 39%. About 66% of all expeditions put at least one member on the summit.

Kami Rita Sherpa (Thami) holds the record for most summits at 30, with Paswang Dawa (PA Dawa) Sherpa of Pangboche close behind with 27 summits. Brit Kenton Cool has the non-Sherpa record at 18 summits. Eleven Sherpas have 20 or more summits. One hundred and one Sherpas have summited Everest 10 or more times. Member climbers from the USA have the most country member summits at 1,078, followed by China at 683, India at 605, and the UK at 560.

How safe is Everest?

Of the 8,000-meter peaks, Everest has the highest absolute number of deaths, but ranks near the bottom with a death rate of 0.9. Annapurna is the deadliest 8000er, with one death for every four summits. Cho Oyu is the safest, with 4,038 summits and 52 deaths.

Everest is becoming safer even though more people are now climbing. From 1923 to 1999, 170 people died on Everest with 1,170 summits, or 14.5%. But deaths drastically declined from 2000 to 2024, with 11,714 summits and 165 deaths, or 1.4%. However, four years skewed the death rates, with 17 in 2014, 14 in 2015, 11 in 2019, and a record 18 in 2023. The reduction in deaths is primarily due to significantly higher Sherpa support ratios, improved supplemental oxygen at higher flow rates (up to 8 lpm), better gear, accurate weather forecasting, and more people climbing with commercial operations.

Of the 8,000-meter peaks, Everest has the highest absolute number of deaths (member and hired) at 335, but ranks near the bottom with a death rate of 1.11. Annapurna is the most deadly 8,000er, with one death for about every 15 summits (73:514) or a 3.30 death rate.  Cho Oyu is the safest, with 4,158 summits and 52 deaths, or a death rate of 0.54, with Lhotse next at 0.61. Of note, 81 Everest member climbers out of 206 member deaths died descending from the summit, or 39%. K2’s death rate has fallen dramatically from the historic 1:4 to around 1:8, primarily due to more commercial expeditions with large Sherpa support ratios.

As for Everest deaths, 335 people (203 Westerners and 129 Sherpas) died from 1922 to December 2024. These deaths account for about 2.7% of those who summited, resulting in a death rate of 1.11% among those who attempted to reach the summit. Westerners die at a higher rate of 1.36%, compared to Sherpas at 0.84%. Descending from the summit is deadly, with 74 deaths, or 22% of the total fatalities. Female climbers have a lower death rate of 0.81% compared to 1.14% for male climbers, and 14 women have died on Everest.

The Nepalese side has seen 9,156 summits with 225 deaths through December 2024, or 2.5%, representing a rate of 1.12%. One hundred thirty deaths, or 27%, did not use oxygen. The Tibet side has witnessed 3,728 summits with 98 deaths through December 2024, or 2.6%, a rate of 0.98%. Thirty-eight individuals died without using oxygen. Countries with the most deaths among climbers include India at 28, the UK (19), Japan (19), the US (17), and China (12), with South Korea at 11. Nepal has the absolute highest number of deaths at 135, dominated by Sherpas. Most bodies remain on the mountain, but China has removed many from view on its side. The top causes of death are avalanches (77), falls (75), altitude sickness (45), and exposure (26).

Which side of Everest should I climb: north or south?

Both sides have a lot to offer—and both are historic: the Mallory and Irvine mystery in 1924 gives mystique to the Tibetan side, while Nepal was the route taken by the first summiteers, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, in1953.

The comparison between sides is pretty simple. The North is colder, windier, dustier, and may be technically harder since you climb on more exposed rock. The South has the Khumbu Icefall, which many people (justifiably) find terrifying. But the Nepal side is more popular.

When choosing sides, keep in mind that, as of 2022, China does not allow helicopter rescues. However, that might change as they are building a massive Mountaineering Center at base camp to cater to tourists and have said they will start helicopter rescues as part of the center.

One can cherry-pick the numbers to prove almost any point on which side is safer, but the bottom line is that death happens on both sides of Everest, and it often comes down to being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Should I use supplemental oxygen?

It is rare to summit Everest without using supplemental oxygen; only 216 people have, and most of them were very experienced on 8,000-meter peaks.

Supplemental oxygen gives the body a 3,000-foot advantage. In other words, when the climber is at 28,000 feet, the body feels like it is at 25,000 feet. The main benefit of supplemental oxygen is that you feel warmer, thus allowing the heart to pump blood and oxygen to fingers and toes, thus reducing the risk of frostbite.

Digging deep into the data reveals that of the 305 people who’ve died on the mountain, 167 were not using O’s when they perished—but this statistic is a bit misleading because many of the deaths (121 to be precise) were doing route preparation, a role primarily filled by Sherpas, most would not have been using oxygen because they were low on the mountain. Case in point: both the 2014 ice serac release and the 2015 earthquake (events that together killed 31 people) took place below Camp 1, where no one would have been using oxygen.

If we look at climbing in modern times, i.e., after 1990 to 2021, we can see that 133 non-Sherpa climbers summited without supplemental oxygen while 39 died—a death rate of 30%. Meanwhile, 5,132 climbers summited with oxygen while 133 died—a rate of 2.5%.

While climbing without oxygen is a meaningful accomplishment, it is not for everyone. Many try, few succeed.

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Why climb Everest in the first place?

It is trendy to criticize anyone who has or is planning to climb Everest. Jon Krakauer’s book Into Thin Air set a negative tone and profiled climbers as rich, inexperienced, and selfish after his one climb in 1996. In my experience—six climbs on Everest or Lhotse—the opposite is today’s reality.

To be fair, in recent years, the marketing of low-cost expeditions is attracting inexperienced climbers. This price move is all about supply and demand. All the puffery from Nepal’s government about making Everest safer will have zero impact on this because everyone involved—government officials, guide companies, and the guides themselves—benefit.

If you want to attempt the world’s highest peak, do the work: get the proper experience, train your body to be in “Everest Shape,” and prepare your mind to push yourself harder than you ever thought possible. Earn the right to climb Everest, don’t just expect money to be sufficient. Select a team that matches your experience, be smart, be humble, and savor every moment.

Alan Arnette is the oldest American to summit K2 in 2014 and has six expeditions on Everest or Lhotse with a summit of Everest in 2011. He climbs to raise money and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.