The Mount Everest climbing season of 2017 began in spring with the first climbers reaching the top on May 11, from the north side. The first team on the south side reached the top on May 15. By early June, reports from Nepal indicated that 445 people had made it to the summit from the Nepali side. Reports indicate 160–200 summits on the north side, with 600–660 summiteers overall for early 2017. This year had a roughly 50% success rate on that side for visiting climbers, which was down from other years. By 2018, the figure for the number of summiteers of Everest was refined to 648. This includes 449 which summited via Nepal (from the South) and 120 from Chinese Tibet (North side). Swiss mountaineer Ueli Steck died in a fall during a warm-up climb on Nuptse, which he was conducting in preparation for his Everest-Lhotse summit bid. By May 22, 2017, five climbers had died, and one trekker to base camp died earlier in the year. Several climbers summited twice this season, including Kilian Jornet and Anshu Jamsenpa.
Mountaineering season
Winter Spanish mountaineer Alex Txikon with Pakistani mountaineer Muhammad Ali Sadpara attempted to summit Everest in winter without supplemental oxygen. Txikon reached Camp 4 at approximately 7,950 meters on 31 January 2018 before being turned back by bad weather conditions.
Spring The Mount Everest summit season was set to be the largest climbing season in the modern history of the mountain with 365 people on 39 teams from around the world, just on the south/Nepal side. The Nepal Department of Tourism said they had issued the most permits this year since this process began. By May 3, there were 371 permits for climbers, and with their guides, around 800 could summit Everest from the south. By April 23, the route to Mount Everest's South Col area had been opened. The south side was expected to become a "global village" for about two months as hundreds of people from around the world undertake expeditions to the mountain. On the north side were roughly 200 mountaineers planning to climb Everest from Tibet. A few dozen climbers from both sides made it the top in mid-May before the weather turned again. In late May, the window before the monsoon season hits was predicted to open and the bulk of the expeditions began their summit bid. In early April, it was reported that at least 250 climbers on 27 expeditions were headed for Mount Everest. This grew to 289 climbers from 34 groups by April 20. All permits purchased for the spring season of 2015 were extended for two years, allowing those who had been unable to climb due to the earthquake and subsequent avalanches to return. 70 people returned in 2017 under this program. The first joint military exercise between the People's Republic of China and Nepal, called Sagarmatha Friendship-2017, took place April 16–25. The exercise focused on combating terrorism in the region and disaster-response management. China announced plans to build hotels, restaurants, and ski resorts on the Tibet side of Everest, having completed a new asphalt road to Everest in 2016. China has had a reputation for being more difficult with permits than Nepal, but has taken steps to improve access to the north side. British DJ Paul Oakenfold hosted "the highest party on Earth" in April at the Everest base camp, which was attended by over 100 people. An international collaboration between India and Nepal celebrating the 250th anniversary of the survey of India sought to re-measure the height of Everest. Everest's height was measured by Survey of India in 1855 and 1957, however there is concern that the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and avalanches may have changed the height of the mountain. The highest-altitude restaurant in the world opened in April at the Nepal base camp. Cleanup activities from earlier years carried on with fresh vigour, as a special operation in March focused on clearing piled-up debris and further reviving the spot. The Nepal government and Everest expeditions worked together to distribute trash bags to remove debris from this season and from previous years, when people had to evacuate. Collected trash will be removed by helicopters, which usually return empty after delivering supplies. Sherpas were paid for carrying rubbish down the mountain on their return trips. A French-backed expedition called Everest Green went on an independent waste-retrieval mission, collecting about five tonnes of garbage from the Nepal base camp up to the South Col area. Of that, three tonnes were able to be recycled, and the mission ran for 40 days between April 13 and May 23.
May
On May 13, the first mountaineers climbed Everest from the Chinese Tibet route, with 16 reaching the top. The group consisted of 6 climbers from India and 10 Sherpa helpers. Ropes had been laid two days earlier, and there was a window of good weather. The ascent opened what one reporter called "the summit blitz". In the early morning of Monday, May 15, 14 members of the Gurkha Everest Expedition summited from the Nepal side. Expedition organizers predicted that 150 would try for the summit in the following days. By May 15, at least 35 more climbers from around the world had summited. By May 25, an estimated 300–400 people had summited Mount Everest from the Nepal side, and another 120 or so from the Chinese Tibet side. It was discovered that the 2015 earthquake had altered the famed Hillary Step. The 40-foot climb is thought to have been reduced to a gentle rock slope. Various mountaineers confirmed in 2017 the news that the rocks of Everest had been altered. The extent of the destruction has been disputed. A South African filmmaker who tried to climb Everest without a permit was apprehended and arrested in May. The man faces a fine and may be banned from climbing mountains in Nepal for up to 10 years.
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