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Everest 2025 Updates

Mountain Expeditions 2025 - Major Highlights

Everest & Makalu 2025 records, new safety rules, and Xenon gas use are redefining mountaineering and high-altitude expedition standards.

Mountaineering Regulation 2025 – New Rule (Nepal)

  • Mandatory prior experience of summiting a 7,000-meter peak before attempting Mount Everest.
  • Climbers must provide a health certificate from a government-approved medical institution issued within the past month.
  • Solo climbing is banned, and expeditions must include 1 guide per 2 climbers on peaks above 
  • Implementation of tracking devices for climbers to improve search and rescue operations.
A climber practicing crevasse crossing techniques at the Khumbu Glacier in the Everest region.

Mountaineering Milestones in 2025

1.    Kenton Cool's 19th Everest Ascent

  • British mountaineer Kenton Cool achieved his 19th ascent of Mount Everest, setting a new record for the most successful climbs of the peak by a non-Sherpa.
  • At 51 years old, Cool plans to reach the summit at least once more. 

2.   Rapid Everest Ascent Using Xenon Gas (Controversial Use) 

  • Four British Special Forces veterans completed a record-setting seven-day round-trip expedition from London to the summit of Mount Everest and back.
  • Their rapid ascent was facilitated by pre-acclimatization techniques, including the controversial use of xenon gas.
  • The expedition, led by Lukas Furtenbach, has sparked discussions about the use of such methods in high-altitude climbing.

Note: Xenon gas (Xe) is a rare, inert noble gas that has anesthetic and neuroprotective properties. It's not typically used in traditional mountaineering, but it made headlines in 2025 because of a controversial Everest ascent.

  • They used Xenon gas during hypoxic training to simulate high-altitude conditions and improve acclimatization.
  • Not part of traditional mountaineering practices.
  • Enables extremely fast ascents (e.g., Everest in under 5 days), which some purists argue is against the spirit of mountaineering.
  • Helps protect brain function under extreme hypoxia (low oxygen).
  • Used during training, not during the climb - it mimics high-altitude stress without real exposure.
  • Xenon gas isn't illegal or banned, but it's a high-tech tool some elite climbers are now using to train faster and harder.
  • The team used it before the expedition, during training, to simulate high-altitude adaptation at sea level.

3.  May 15, 2025 – Youngest American Female on Everest

  • Emma Schwerin became the youngest American female to summit Mount Everest.
  • Aged 17 years, 2 months, 24 days, she broke the previous record held by Lucy Westlake (18 years).

4.  May 18, 2025 – NIMAS Completes ‘Har Shikhar Tiranga’ Mission

  • A team from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) summited Mt. Kangchenjunga.
  • This was the final mission in their campaign to hoist the Indian flag on all major Indian peaks.

5.  May 23, 2025 – Rapid Everest Climb from Sea Level

  • Andrew Ushakov, a Ukrainian-American engineer, claimed to summit Everest in under 4 days from sea level (New York).
  • Used hypoxic tent training and supplemental oxygen.
  • While not independently verified, this attracted global attention for its speed and technique.

Makalu Expedition 2025- Major Records

1.  Season's First Ascent by Lakpa Sherpa

  • On April 10, 2025, Lakpa Sherpa led a rope-fixing team to the summit of Mount Makalu, marking the season's first ascent.
  • This achievement represents Lakpa's eighth successful climb of Makalu.
  • He also completed the fastest triple ascent of Makalu in a single season in just 16 days in 2022.

2.  ITBP's Historic Climb

  • On April 19, 2025, a team from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) successfully summited Makalu.
  • This marks the first time a central armed police force from India has achieved this feat.
  • The expedition was part of a twin mission, also attempting to climb Mount Annapurna.
  • Out of the six, 5 climbers reached the top — 83% success rate.

3.  Madison Mountaineering's Tribute Climb

  • On May 4, American climber Alexander Pancoe, 39, died at Camp 2 due to suspected cardiac arrest.
  • Following the tragic loss of team member Alex Pancoe, the Madison Mountaineering team continued their ascent in his honor.

4.  International Expeditions

  • Satori Adventures led a diverse team of 14 climbers from countries including Poland, Russia, Ecuador, and Switzerland on a Makalu expedition starting March 29, 2025.
  • Led by Polish mountaineer Karol Adam Adamski.
In addition to the above records, 2025 is shaping into a pivotal year for mountaineering with increased international participation, a growing use of high-tech training like xenon gas, and Nepal’s new focus on climber safety and environmental management. These developments reflect both evolving challenges and modernization in high-altitude expedition standards.

What are your thoughts on these changes? Do new technologies like xenon gas enhance mountaineering, or do they challenge its traditional values?

Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.


Dipendra Singh Khatri is a researcher, educator, and storyteller who writes about current affairs, politics, education, and mountaineering. With years of experience in the military and in the mountains (Mt Everest Summiteer - 2023), he brings honest analysis and grounded perspectives to readers across Nepal and beyond...