Industry & Tourism

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 —…

By Laxman Rawal · Jun 10, 2026

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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…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

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…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

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…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

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