27th May

Cyclone Yaas has hit Everest, with severe winds and snow. Conditions are due to extend for the next 24 – 48hours as the Cyclone passes to the South & East. The climbing season comes to an official close on the 31st May.

All CTSS climbers and Sherpa are now safely off the mountain. 

It brings a turbulent end to a tough season.

Compounded by this weather event, the season completion in just a few short days and the widespread impacts of Covid across the mountain, we made a safety decision to cancel the last summit wave just hours before their bid was due to begin.

Despite healthy and prepared climbers, a number of CTSS Sherpa were unwittingly exposed to Covid-19 at Camp 2 thus compromising the entire team. They were identified as close contacts and isolated with a handful subsequently testing positive, and therefore no longer able to support our climbers.

CTSS has strict margins of safety and redundancy that we operate within. Without a full Sherpa team accompanying our climbers and stationed at the South Col to aid in rescue situations etc, the risk became unacceptable. Further, the effects of becoming symptomatic with covid at extreme altitude can be catastrophic.

As we bring the 2021 season to a close, we are grateful to have had 2x successful summit waves with 25x Everest Summits & 7x Lhotse summits.

Today we bid farewell to Damian, Akash & April who will descend to Lukla over 3 days and the Western Guided Team who will trek down the valley in just 2 days.