Mount Everest (4)

The 2010s were a time of great highs and lows on Mount Everest. In 2013 and 2014, the mountain saw back-to-back disasters, resulting in record deaths. In 2015, for the first time in decades, no one was able to reach the summit. On the other hand, some years set records for the number of people who were able to successfully summit the mountain. In 2013, around 667 people reached the top, but this record was surpassed in 2018 when approximately 800 people made it to the peak. In 2019, a new record was set with over 890 people successfully reaching the summit. In 2014, a 13-year-old girl named Malavath Purna became the youngest female climber to reach the summit. Additionally, a team used a helicopter to fly from the south base camp to Camp 2 in order to avoid the Khumbu Icefall, and then went on to reach the summit. Over 100 people were able to summit from China in 2014, along with six from Nepal. This included 72-year-old Bill Burke, the Indian teenage girl, and a Chinese woman named Jing Wang. Another teenager, Ming Kipa Sherpa, also made it to the top, along with her elder sister Lhakpa Sherpa, who had already achieved the record for the most times a woman had reached the summit at that point.

In May 1996, a blizzard struck Mount Everest during a summit attempt, leading to the deaths of eight climbers and raising questions about the commercialization and safety of guiding clients on the mountain. Journalist Jon Krakauer, who was on the expedition and later published the bestselling book "Into Thin Air," criticized guide Anatoli Boukreev in his recollection of the event. Boukreev responded with the book "The Climb," sparking a debate within the climbing community. In 2004, researchers suggested that the storm caused oxygen levels to drop about 14% due to weather conditions. Among the survivors was Beck Weathers, an American client of a New Zealand-based guide service, who was left for dead but managed to make it back to camp with severe frostbite and snow blindness. Weathers' condition was considered terminal and he was left in a tent to die, but he was eventually rescued thanks to the Nepali Army. The disaster was depicted in the 2015 film "Everest."

In 2006, a solo British climber named David Sharp attempted to climb Mount Everest but ultimately died in the process, sparking an international debate and years of discussion about climbing ethics. Sharp's decision to climb without a guide or Sherpa and with fewer oxygen bottles than is typical was heavily scrutinized, as was the question of whether or not other climbers on the mountain that season had left Sharp to die and whether or not he could have been saved. In addition to Sharp's death, at least nine other climbers lost their lives that year, including multiple Sherpas working for various guiding companies.

The 2010s saw both successes and tragedies on the mountain, with back-to-back disasters in 2013 and 2014 causing record deaths. In 2015, an earthquake and avalanche shut down the climbing season for the first time in decades. However, other years saw record numbers of summiters, with over 800 climbers reaching the top in 2018 and a new record set in 2019 with over 890 summiters. The 2015 earthquake also had a significant impact on Nepal, with almost 9,000 people killed and around 22,000 injured.

2017 was a particularly busy year on the mountain, with hundreds of summiters and a handful of deaths. The season saw the 21st climb to the summit by Kami Rita Sherpa, one of only three people in the world to reach the top of Mount Everest that many times. A total of 807 climbers successfully summited the mountain in 2018, breaking the previous record set in 2013. Despite the record-breaking numbers, some climbers have criticized the overcrowding, feces, and high cost of climbing the mountain in recent years.

In the spring of 2019, Mount Everest was in the international spotlight as the number of climbers attempting to reach the summit increased, leading to several deaths and widespread criticism. The Nepalese government issued 381 climbing permits for the season, while China issued permits for several hundred climbers on the northern side of the mountain. Kami Rita, a Nepali mountaineering guide, made headlines as he successfully reached the summit twice within a week, his 23rd and 24th ascents. However, the crowded conditions on the mountain led to delays and shorter weather windows, resulting in a death toll of at least 11 climbers. Despite this, a record 891 climbers managed to reach the summit. The high death toll and media attention prompted discussions about the safety and regulation of climbing on Mount Everest.

As the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, the climbing world was forced to adapt. Both Nepal and China closed their borders to foreign climbing groups for the 2020 season, making it the third year in the decade with no summits from the Nepal side. However, a team of Chinese surveyors managed to climb from the north side of the mountain, becoming the only climbers to reach the summit during the pandemic.

In 2022, history was made as the first all-Black team successfully climbed Mount Everest. Comprised of seven men and two women from the United States and Kenya, guided by eight sherpas, the team made their way to the top of the world's highest peak. It was a triumphant moment, marking a significant achievement in the world of mountaineering.

Mount Everest has long been a popular destination for mountain climbers, with the first successful ascent occurring in 1953. In the 2010s, the mountain saw a surge in popularity, with record numbers of climbers reaching the summit in 2013, 2018, and 2019. However, the mountain has also seen its fair share of disasters, with back-to-back tragedies in 2013 and 2014 resulting in record deaths and the first year with no summits in decades occurring in 2015 due to an earthquake and avalanche. Permits to climb the mountain are required by both Nepal and China, with the number of permits issued each year ranging from around 200 to over 400. In 2020 and 2021, climbing permits were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mountain has also been the site of a number of notable achievements, including the first all-Black team to summit in 2022 and the youngest female climber to reach the top in 2014.