Overview
- Nepal confirmed 492 spring permits by Friday after China's north-side closure shifted demand to the south.
- Permit sales have brought in more than $7.1 million after last year's fee increase to $15,000 per climber.
- A large ice block in the Khumbu Icefall shut the route earlier, and Sherpa teams say the line now reaches Camp 4 with fixed ropes.
- Guides on the mountain warn of dangerous queues near the summit because many teams will target the same narrow weather windows.
- Lawmakers in Kathmandu are reviewing draft rules that would require proof of a prior 7,000-meter ascent in Nepal along with tighter waste and fee measures.