The 2026 Mount Everest season has officially become a "pressure cooker." With a record 492 permits issued—amounting to over $7.3 million in fees alone—the South Side is bracing for unprecedented overcrowding. Following the deadliest year on record in 2023, experts are sounding the alarm: can the mountain handle this surge?

Plus, we have an exceptional update on the Eurasian wigeon named Pemba Tshering who was rescued from the Khumbu Icefall, as well as an Everest wedding!

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EVEREST SUMMIT:
Matthew Kleinlein

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Five forty-five this morning. A serac let go. And this is what it looked like. The tourism Times reported that a large serac broke off and a chunk of ice approximately 20 meters below it collapsed onto the path where climbers were moving up the mountain, striking members of a passing group.

If you would like to learn more about and support an organization dedicated to supporting HIMALAYAN mountain workers, their families and communities, please visit: https://www.thejuniperfund.org

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In a truly unexpected turn of events at Everest Base Camp, a lost Eurasian Wigeon, affectionately named Pemba Tshering, found itself in a life-threatening situation after being blown off course from its home in the Gokyo Lakes. This remarkable animal rescue highlights the fragility of wildlife in extreme environments, but is an apt beginning to an Everest season that almost didn't happen.

The Icefall Doctors of Everest have finally found a passage through the notorious Khumbu Icefall and upward movement has finally begun. But, not without anxiety in Everest Base Camp.

Here's another update from this strange season on Everest.

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A body* was discovered in the Khumbu Icefall this week at the base of Mount Everest, just as the 2026 climbing season is struggling to begin. This discovery comes as over 3,000 people are gathered at Everest Base Camp, waiting to ascend the icefall. This tragic event adds to the ongoing discussions about the dangers of mountaineering in the Himalaya, especially with the increasing number of everest bodies being found.

* As of the time of this video being posted there is very, very little information available about the discovery of the human remains on Everest. This channel will be posting more as further information comes in.

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In this video we recount a tragic climbing incident in China's Sichuan province, where a hiker's selfie accident led to an accidental death after unhooking his safety rope. We also explore the story of the "bikini climber" GiGi Wu, highlighting how some seemingly innocent actions can go wrong in extreme environments, often due to the carelessness of people. This horror story serves as a stark reminder of critical safety precautions needed during any adventure, focusing on the circus that we see on Everest these days.

We also share an update on the massive serac stopping all work in the Khumbu Icefall and a workaround that the Icefall Doctors think might save the season.

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"I'm not doing too good at Everest Base Camp, " says a reclining Ryan Mitchell behind an oxygen mask covering his face.

Ryan Mitchell is on oxygen at Base Camp with an SPO2 of 35. And the Icefall Doctors have stopped cold in their tracks. A serac the size of a building is blocking the only route up the mountain. And 3,500 people are waiting at the foot of Everest with nowhere to go.

The 2026 Everest season hasn't really started yet — but Tyler Andrews and Karl Egloff — gunning for the fastest no-oxygen ascent in history, the growing army of no-O2 no-Sherpa alpinists, and the looming regulatory changes that could make this one of the last seasons this style of climbing is even legal.

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RESOURCES FOR MORE RESEARCH

Everest at 19! YouTube Influencer Ryan Mitchell's Path to the Top
https://youtu.be/w1mJsdeE81Q

Everest 2026 - Without These HUGE Changes We're Screwed
https://youtu.be/NKKMUvesAmE

Can Anyone Save Everest? 2026 Is The Biggest Test Yet
https://youtu.be/676yCestIKg

Everest 2026: More Dangerous Than Ever — But Now There Are Drones
https://youtu.be/Jqh3UA_ml1Y

Ryan Mitchell's Instagram post - SEND HIM SOME LOVE:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXJ2yKVEXlL/

=======================

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I want to start with a number: 31,797 kilograms.
That is the amount of human waste that was removed from Mount Everest in the spring of 2025. One season. One mountain.

Can anyone save Everest? That question has never felt more urgent than right now. With the Tibet side closed, record numbers of climbers heading for the summit, and a waste crisis decades in the making — 2026 is the year that puts everything to the test. Here's what's really at stake.

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This video discusses new regulations for climbing Mount Everest, requiring climbers to first ascend a 7,000m peak in Nepal. It highlights significant environmental concerns and the potential impact of climate change on the mountain. These changes could alter the appearance of Mount Everest, addressing issues like pollution and ensuring a more sustainable future for mountaineering.

FOR THE LINK TO THIS EPISODE ON EVEREST MYSTERY FOLLOW THIS LINK:

https://youtu.be/676yCestIKg

RESOURCES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

POLL QUESTION about most important issues facing Mount Everest today:
https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxtVWxuLgVI4Fe8mCF8G8EENzuj3MsEK5l

Everest 2026: More Dangerous Than Ever — But Now There Are Drones:
https://youtu.be/Jqh3UA_ml1Y



=======================
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Everest is changing—faster than most people realize.

For decades, the mountain has been quietly “dialed in.” Better forecasting, supplemental oxygen, fixed ropes, and accumulated experience have made it safer—even as more people attempt it than ever before.

Now, a new wave of technology is accelerating that change. Drones, AI systems. and the possibility—real, not theoretical—of lighting Everest from space.

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