Tyler Andrews is preparing for a new attempt at the Fastest Known Time on Everest without supplementary oxygen. It’s the American’s third attempt, but this one will be very different, as he will climb from the North Side of the mountain, in Tibet.
The North Side of Everest. Photo: Furtenbach Adventures
New duel
Andrews will chase Kilian Jornet’s 2017 North Side record of 26 hours from Base Camp to summit. He also intends to break the Base Camp-summit-Base Camp return trip time.
This will compete with Karl Egloff of Ecuador, who will also try the Everest round-trip FKT without oxygen from the South Side. This will be Egloff’s second attempt. His first was last spring.
Tyler Andrews at the South Col of Everest this past fall. Photo: Asian Trekking
Andrews also attempted the Everest FKT from Nepal last spring, on three unsuccessful summit pushes. Then he returned in the fall for a fresh attempt, using the ropes fixed by skier Andrzej Bargiel‘s team. His highest point was 8,400m.
Not forbidden?
A fast return trip on Everest seems safer from the North Side, as there is no icefall to cross. But climbing without oxygen was reportedly forbidden on Tibet’s 8,000m peaks since they reopened to foreigners after the COVID hiatus. Companies operating on the mountain in 2024 mentioned that regulation, but it is unclear how (or whether) it was applied and if it remains in force.
Climbers take the last steps to the summit of Everest from the North Side. Photo: @griffin_mims
In the fall of 2024, Nirmal Purja and Mingma G climbed Shisha Pangma, also in Tibet, without supplementary oxygen. So did some of their clients, and no problem was reported.
At the time, Purja’s team claimed they had “all the required permissions from the relevant authorities for this expedition.” After the climb, Mingma G insisted they were “not obliged” to use oxygen and noted that there were other no-oxygen climbs on Tibet’s 8,000’ers that year, including Anja Blacha of Germany, who summited Cho Oyu with Seven Summit Treks.
An Everest guide recently told ExplorersWeb that there was no actual mention to the use of oxygen in the regulations that the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CMTA) sent to companies ahead of the season.
Frame of the summit video shared by Mingma G, holding hands with Nirmal Purja. Video: Mingma G
Tyler Andrews will organize his expedition through Asian Trekking, in collaboration with the CTMA. He has also stated he will comply with all the rules. We have asked Asian Trekking for details.
Treadmill record
Andrews runs uphill on a treadmill. Photo: Santiago Guerrero
Andrews holds over 90 mountain speed records, including the FKT on 8,163m Manaslu. He announced the new expedition at a PR event in Boulder, Colorado, last Sunday, in which he ran the 8,848m height of Mount Everest on a treadmill. His team noted that Andrews broke the pre-existing world record (yes, there is a world record for this) by completing the equivalent distance in 8 hours, 17 minutes, and 9 seconds.
On Everest, Andrews will be accompanied by a film crew that will document the feat.
