Daily Dispatches – 26th May
The 2026 Everest spring season is rapidly approaching its final act, with climbers currently positioned at Camp 4 preparing for what is expected to be one of the very last summit opportunities before the mountain begins shutting down for the season.
Attention is now firmly focused on tonight’s summit pushes as teams make their final calculations high on the South Col. Reports from Base Camp suggest the Khumbu Icefall route is expected to close on Friday, effectively bringing the main Everest climbing season on the Nepal side to an end.
After weeks of record summit numbers, massive traffic jams and relentless activity high on the mountain, Everest is suddenly becoming quieter. Many of the major commercial expeditions have already completed their climbs and descended back through Base Camp, leaving only smaller groups and final summit waves preparing for one last chance at the top of the world.
Among the teams still positioned high on the mountain is Elite Expeditions, led by legendary climber Nimsdai Purja. Checking in from Camp 4, Nims confirmed that his team delayed their summit push yesterday due to dangerous winds high on the upper mountain.
The decision once again highlighted the importance of patience and judgement on Everest, even during the closing days of the season when summit opportunities are rapidly disappearing.
Nims reported that conditions have now improved and that the Elite Exped team will continue their summit push tonight. He also confirmed that the climbers remain in strong condition despite the difficult weather delays, with Mingma David Sherpa, Tejan and the wider support team helping guide operations from the South Col.
The atmosphere on Everest now feels very different compared to the chaos of last week’s historic summit surge. The huge queues stretching towards the Hillary Step have disappeared, replaced instead by smaller teams carefully waiting for the final weather windows before the mountain empties for another year.
With the Icefall route expected to close within days, the remaining climbers now know there are no second chances left this season. Over the coming nights, Everest’s final summit stories of Spring 2026 are set to unfold high above the South Col.
