IMAGINE NEPAL EVEREST EXPEDITION 2026 — SUMMIT SUCCESS

May 13

Imagine Nepal Everest summit 2026

The first summit of Everest in 2026

In the early hours of 13 May 2026, members of Imagine Nepal’s inaugural Everest expedition set out from the South Col on the final push to the summit. Between 10:38 and 10:48 AM Nepal time, together 16 members in total: six international climbers from Norway, Canada, and China, and ten Sherpas, three of whom played the additional and demanding role of fixing the summit reached the top.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest, rising on the border between Nepal and Tibet in the heart of the Himalayas, is the highest point on Earth. At 29,032 feet, it draws the most ambitious mountaineers in the world — and humbles most of them. To reach its summit, a good physical preparation, as well as sound judgment, experienced leadership, and the ability to adjust when things do not go to plan.

The Road to the Summit

The 2026 Everest season presented the Everest climbers with difficulties from the outset. A blockage in the Khumbu Icefall threatened to halt the entire season before it had properly begun, and delays in transferring rope and equipment to Camp 2 cost the rope fixing team some early weather windows. Rather than wait for others to act, Imagine Nepal took the initiative at each stage.

Phase 1 — Breaking the Icefall Blockage (26 April)

When the Khumbu Icefall blockage halted progress for the whole mountain, Imagine Nepal Sherpas joined forces with climbers from Elite Exped, AltiPro Adventures, and Polish climber Bartek Ziemski to fix ladders and ropes above the obstruction. Whiteout conditions forced a turnaround just below Camp I, but the route was nearly complete and was found to be safer than widely feared.

Phase 2 — Camp 2 to the South Col (by 8 May)

The fixing team mounted an exceptional multi-day effort from Camp 2 all the way to the South Col at Camp 4, working several days above 6,000 meters in difficult conditions. In parallel, six Imagine Nepal Sherpas deposited oxygen supplies and 400 meters of rope at the South Col, while additional Sherpas delivered oxygen to Camp 4 on Lhotse.

Phase 3 — Fixing to the Balcony (12 May)

Imagine Nepal coordinated a joint push with partner teams. Six Imagine Nepal Sherpas and two from Elite Exped reached the South Col between 6:00 and 7:00 AM, with further support from three Seven Summit Treks Sherpas. Nine Sherpas in total departed to fix the route above the South Col. By the end of the day, the route had been secured to just above 8,400 meters, the Balcony area and the fixing team returned to the South Col to rest before the summit push.

Phase 4 — Summit Day (13 May)

  • Between 10:38 and 10:48 AM Nepal time, sixteen members of the Imagine Nepal expedition stood on the summit of Everest.

With the route fixed to the Balcony and a clear weather window identified across multiple forecasts, the plan was set for the final push to the summit on 13 May.

The night before, however, did not unfold as expected. Having been assured that the route to the summit would be fixed early, Imagine Nepal stepped back to allow the designated fixing team to lead. But there was no movement from the South Col until 1:00 AM, and so, once again, Imagine Nepal stepped in.

Three of Imagine Nepal’s main Sherpas, who had previously been stood down from the South Col after sufficient manpower was confirmed, were called back into action, joined by two Sherpas from Elite Exped. It was a lean team, but it was enough. As expedition leadership put it: “If there is the will, even three people are enough to get the job done.”

Those three Sherpas pushed directly to the South Summit, fixing rope without any support along the way. From the South Summit onward, members of the broader fixing team joined them to complete the final stretch. The only limiting factor, by all accounts, was a shortage of rope.

The result was clear: Imagine Nepal’s team fixed the Everest summit route. Their effort made it possible for all other teams on the mountain to proceed with their own summit climbs that day. Expedition leadership expressed sincere gratitude to the full fixing team for their work across every stage — from the South Col all the way to the top.

The Summiteers from Imagine Nepal

Thirteen members of the Imagine Nepal team stood on the summit of Everest on 13 May 2026.
Summit Route Fixing Sherpas:
  • 1. Ila Nuru Sherpa
  • 2. Fura Namgya Sherpa
  • 3. Pasang Ngima Sherpa
Client and Personal Sherpas
  • 1. Dawa Tenjin Sherpa
  • 2. Lakpa Tamang
  • 3. Jit Bahadur Sherpa
  • 4. Lakpa Nuru Sherpa
  • 5. Angdu Sherpa
  • 6. Ngima Nuru Sherpa
  • 7. Jangbu Sherpa
International Climbers
  • 1. Hakon Andreas Hyttedalen — Norway
  • 2. Hanne Nicole Briedis Hyttedalen — Norway
  • 3. Charles Antoine Lanthire — Canada
  • 4. Li Yitong — China
  • 5. Hu Haina — China
  • 6. Lui Haibo — China
What made the 2026 expedition stand out was not any single moment, but the consistent willingness of Imagine Nepal to step up when the situation demanded it. Whether breaking an icefall blockage that had stalled the entire mountain, depositing supplies high on the route, or supervising a multi-team push to the Balcony, the company proved itself a capable and energetic organizer at every stage.

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