Extreme athletes in the competition at Everest: Who climbs the summit first?

Extreme athletes in the competition at Everest: Who climbs the summit first?

The current season at Mount Everest has opened and brings with it an exciting duel between two extreme athletes. Tyler Andrews and Karl Egloff fight without reaching and returning the summit as soon as possible without the use of artificial oxygen. While Egloff, who is considered an experienced mountain guide at the age of 44, has already set records to several of the highest peak in the world, the 35-year-old Andrews brings an impressive best time of 2:15:52 hours. Most recently, in 2019 he switched from marathon runs to ultramarathons and mountain running. Both athletes experience maximum pressure as they undergo doping tests to ensure their sporting integrity. Netflix will record the exciting race for documentation, which also increases media attention.

Andrews already had difficulties with his shoes at an altitude of 7200 meters and had to stop his record attempt to 7650 meters. This could disadvantage him in the competition against Egloff, who rejected a joint start to minimize risks. Critics of the competition emphasize the potential dangers of mass tourism at Everest, especially after the dramatic events of 2019, led to traffic jams and there were several deaths. This season, Nepal granted 456 promotion permits, including that of Andrews and Egloff.

The challenges of mass tourism

The climbs of Mount Everest have increased significantly in recent decades and are promoted by commercial expedition providers in Nepal. Since the first commercial expeditions that started with Adventure Consultants in 1992, the mountain has become symbolic of the adventure for many laypersons. Extreme mountaineer David Göttler explains that many focus on only commercial climbs, while alpine projects are also conceivable without external aid. Denis Urubko 2023 climbed his 27th thousand without aids.

Last season in 2023, 240 foreign alpinists and 399 native guides passed the adventure, with the care ratio of 1: 1.7 shows how many Sherpas have now reached the summit. This number has exceeded that of the alpinists, which is not only remarkable, but also shows the change in the Sherpa culture. Many Sherpas have developed into entrepreneurs over the years and are now leading significant expedition providers. For example, Kami Rita Sherpa has achieved an impressive number of 26 versions of Everest, which underpins his Este as one of the best Sherpas. Nevertheless, the challenges, such as the garbage situation at Everest, remain a serious problem for the region.

future developments in mountaineering

Technological progress, such as satellite phones and weather stations, have significantly changed the way expeditions are organized. Nevertheless, security on Everest remains a central topic. The tragic accidents in the 2022 season have initiated discussions about the definition of summit clamps and the tolerance zone for eight -thousanders. Ralf Dujmovits, a pioneer of the expedition business and the first German to climb all 14 eight -thousanders, plans further projects and is committed to improving security and conditions for climbers. The mountaineering is changing and it remains to be seen how the coming seasons will develop.