Tyler Andrews of the U.S. is well above 8,000m and is approaching the summit ridge of Everest, 15 hours after departing from Base Camp without supplementary oxygen.
Yesterday at 9:08 pm, Nepal time, Andrews left Base Camp. According to his tracker, he has climbed through the night at a steady pace. Regular running partner Chris Fisher supported him through the Khumbu Icefall and kept him company until Camp 2, where they arrived after 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Andrews’ tracker on a 3D version of the map by Everest Racecast.io
Andrews reached Camp 4 about two hours before posting this story. However, his tracker was not updating his position punctually (tracking devices often have difficulties contacting the satellites between Camp 3 and the summit ridge). By now, he should be above the highest point he reached on his previous attempt last Friday, when he climbed with the help of supplementary oxygen and was eventually forced back by high winds.
At the time of writing, Andrews was at 8,200m. You can read about the route and the most important features on the upper sections of Everest here.
Other climbers descending
Some groups of climbers left Camp 4 yesterday and started to reach the summit in the early hours of this morning, reportedly in good weather.
Among them is Kami Rita Sherpa, who has broken his record by summiting for the 31st time. He summited at 4:00 am, local time, at the head of an Indian team.
Kami Rita Sherpa on his 28th Everest summit in 2023. photo: Kami Rita Sherpa
Oleg Ivanchenko of Ukraine led a team of three clients and six Sherpa guides; they were the last members outfitted by Seven Summit Treks, the biggest Nepal-based outfitter, which had over 100 foreign clients this season. Pioneer Adventures and SummitClimb also reported summits today.
Andrews may have crossed paths with some summit climbers as they descend back to Camp 4, or perhaps even lower. Everyone should aim to abandon the mountain as soon as possible, as the state of the Khumbu Icefall is rapidly degrading.
