Daily Dispatches – 29th May
The 2026 Everest spring season officially came to an end today, fittingly on Everest Day, the annual celebration marking the first ascent of the world’s highest mountain by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary on 29th May 1953.
While celebrations took place across Nepal to honour the 73rd anniversary of that historic climb, events on the mountain itself served as a reminder that Everest rarely follows a timetable.
Although the Khumbu Icefall route was scheduled to close today, a small number of climbers remained stranded high on the mountain, with at least four people still at Camp 2 as the season drew to a close.
Three of those climbers were members of the SummitClimb expedition, including two foreign climbers and one Sherpa who had spent more than five days above 8,000 metres during their summit attempts. The team had climbed to the South Col between May 24th and 25th before launching summit pushes during the final weather window of the season.
According to reports from the mountain, at least two climbers attempted to continue towards the summit despite poor weather conditions before eventually turning around. During the descent, one climber reportedly developed eye problems, believed to be linked to snow blindness, although details remain limited.
SummitClimb leader Dan Mazur confirmed that all expedition members and Sherpas had safely returned to Camp 2, but later revealed that three members of the team had decided not to descend through the Khumbu Icefall. Instead, they are now awaiting helicopter evacuation from Camp 2.
However, deteriorating visibility prevented helicopters from reaching the camp today, forcing the climbers to spend another night on the mountain while hoping for improved flying conditions tomorrow.
The situation remains unusual because the Khumbu Icefall route is expected to be dismantled following the official closure of the climbing season. Confirmation of the closure is still awaited, although Nima Tashi Sherpa of 14 Peaks Expeditions reported that the Icefall route would indeed be shut down today.
Another climber still believed to be on the mountain is British BASE jumper Josh Bregmen, who reportedly summited Everest on May 27th. Despite speculation surrounding a possible high-altitude jump, no such attempt has been reported, and sources indicate he is currently also located at Camp 2. If the Icefall route has now been dismantled, helicopter evacuation may become his only realistic option for returning to Base Camp.
There was better news regarding Lithuanian climber Saulius Damulevicius, whose dramatic rescue earlier this week became one of the final major stories of the season. After being assisted down the mountain and airlifted from Camp 3 with suspected High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), Damulevicius has now been discharged from hospital in Kathmandu and continues his recovery.
Away from the mountain, Everest Day celebrations were held across Kathmandu with lectures, conferences, climbing competitions and gatherings honouring both the history of Everest and the climbers who took part in the 2026 season.
As the ropes begin to come down and Base Camp empties for another year, the curtain is finally falling on a remarkable spring season. Everest 2026 will be remembered for record permit numbers, historic summit days, extraordinary athletic achievements, inspiring personal stories, dramatic rescues and heartbreaking losses.
For most climbers, the expedition is now over. For a handful still waiting at Camp 2 beneath the towering walls of the Western Cwm, the final chapter has yet to be written.
