Record 274 climbers scale Nepal's side of Mount Everest in single day

Kathmandu, Nepal — Hundreds of climbers scaled Nepal's side of Mount Everest in a single day, setting a record with 274 successful ascents, officials said Thursday.

It was the largest number of climbers to reach the summit on a single day from the popular route on the southern face of the world's tallest peak.

The climbers took advantage of clear weather on Wednesday, said Rishi Ram Bhandari of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal.

And he told the Reuters news agency the number could rise since some climbers who reached the summit might not have informed the base camp about their feats yet.

Everest can be scaled from either its Nepali side or northern face in China's Tibet.

On May 22, 2019, Nepal's side had 223 and the Chinese side had 113 climbers on the summit. Chinese authorities, however, have closed the route this year.

Earlier this week, veteran mountain guide Kami Rita Sherpa scaled the peak for the 32nd time, breaking his own record. His closest competitor, Pasang Dawa Sherpa, scaled the peak for the 30th time this week. Also, Lakpa Sherpa scaled Everest for the 11th time, topping her own record for the highest number by a female climber.

This year's Everest climbing season began late because of the risk from a huge serac hanging over the key route to the summit.

There are around 494 climbers and an equal number of their Sherpa guides who are expected to attempt scale the 29,032-foot mountain by the end of this month, when the climbing season on the peak ends.

Mountaineering experts often criticize Nepal for letting many people try to scale Everest at the same time, which can produce risky congestion at some points. As a result, Nepal has inposed tighter controls and higher fees.

Thousands of people have climbed the peak since it was first scaled on May 29, 1953, by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.