Everest's Tibet route is closed — why every 2026 climber came through Nepal
China quietly shut the north (Tibet) side of Everest for 2026, funnelling the entire season onto Nepal's south side. Here's what the closure means — and why it made an already record year even bigger.
One of the biggest stories of the 2026 Everest season was about a route nobody climbed. China quietly closed the north (Tibet) side of Everest for the spring season, issuing no permits at all — which funnelled the entire world's climbers onto Nepal's south side. The result: an already record-breaking Nepal season became even more crowded, and the politics of the world's highest mountain came into sharp focus.
Key facts
- China's north (Tibet) route to Everest was closed for spring 2026
- The Tibetan 8,000ers Cho Oyu and Shishapangma were shut too
- Climbers shifted south, helping Nepal issue a record ~495 permits
- Each Nepal permit now costs USD 15,000
What happened on the north side
The China Tibet Mountaineering Association never opened its application process for spring 2026 and issued no north-side permits — a de facto closure it did not formally explain. The shutdown extended to the other big Tibetan peaks, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma, leaving the entire commercial 8,000m season on that side of the border dark. Reporting linked the move to fallout from a controversial fireworks art event staged near the Tibetan plateau, but officially the reason was never given.
The knock-on effect in Nepal
With Tibet closed, expeditions that might have climbed from the north pivoted to Nepal — pouring into a south side that was already heading for records. Nepal issued around 495 permits, each now priced at USD 15,000 after the first fee rise in a decade, and the season produced an all-time high of 1,008 summits, including 274 in a single day. More climbers on one route meant more congestion, more pressure on the Khumbu Icefall, and more strain on the Sherpa teams who fix and maintain it.
| Side | 2026 status |
|---|---|
| North (Tibet, China) | Closed — no permits issued |
| South (Nepal) | Open — record ~495 permits |
| Cho Oyu / Shishapangma (Tibet) | Closed |
What this means for you
You do not need a climbing permit to experience this world — the trek to Everest Base Camp walks the same Khumbu the climbers pass through, on the Nepal side that is now the heart of Everest mountaineering. If you are building toward a future climb, note Nepal's new rule requiring a prior 7,000m Nepali summit, and start on a trekking peak like Island Peak. We run both.
Source: The Kathmandu Post; Alan Arnette; ExplorersWeb.
Cover photo: Prabin Sunar via Pexels (Pexels License).
Source: The Kathmandu Post
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