Each year, roughly 800 to 1,200 people try to stand on top of the world. That’s the total number of climbers, not including the guides, porters, and yak herders who make it all possible. If you picture Mount Everest as a very, very tall line for a bathroom at a concert, those 1,200 climbers are the ones in the front row. The rest of the mountain is basically a moving sidewalk of Sherpas carrying oxygen tanks and tents.
This number has exploded since the 1990s, when only a few dozen daring (or crazy) folks made the trek. Now, it’s like everyone and their aunt decided to check “climb Everest” off their bucket list during spring break. In fact, the peak season—late April to late May—is so packed that climbers joke about “traffic jams” at 8,000 meters. Imagine sitting in gridlock on the highway, but your car is your legs and the exit is thin air.
The 2026 season saw a record-breaking 600 summits in a single week, which is more people than live in my entire neighborhood. That’s like your local coffee shop trying to serve a whole town’s worth of lattes in one morning. The result? Queues that would make a Black Friday shopper blush, with climbers waiting over an hour in the “death zone” just to snap a selfie.
Why So Many? (And Why Now?)
Part of the reason is that mountaineering companies have turned the climb into a sort of extreme package holiday. You don’t need to be a tough-as-nails adventurer anymore; you just need a big wallet, a decent fitness level, and a willingness to pay for bottled oxygen. It’s like booking a trip to Disney World, except the “It’s a Small World” ride is a 20-foot ice wall and the “churro” is a compressed energy gel.
Then there’s the social media factor. Everyone wants a photo from the top, a shot that screams “I’m cooler than you, and also I might die.” One climber told me his mother only agreed to let him go after he promised to post hourly Instagram stories. Now, the mountain has its own hashtag—#EverestSelfie—which is both brilliant and terrifying.
Infographic: Everest's Summit Has Become Dangerously Crowded
But let’s be real: most of these 1,200 people are not professional mountaineers. They’re dentists, software developers, and retired teachers who saved up for years. It’s a little like watching your dad try to assemble IKEA furniture while wearing flip-flops—determined, expensive, and slightly concerning. Yet, they go, and they bring a ridiculous amount of gear. I heard of one guy who brought a portable espresso machine. On Everest. To make lattes. At 27,000 feet.
