The Spring 2026 Everest climbing season has claimed another life after veteran Nepali climber and expedition guide Bijay Ghimire Bishwakarma died during an ascent toward the higher camps of Sagarmatha on Sunday morning.
Ghimire, a resident of Solududhkunda Municipality in Solukhumbu district, reportedly fell ill at Camp I in the dangerous Khumbu Icefall section while moving upward from Everest Base Camp. According to officials from the District Police Office, Solukhumbu, he suffered severe altitude-related complications at around 4:00 am and died while being brought back down to Base Camp.
Everest Season 2026 Suffers Another Tragedy as Veteran Climber Bijay Ghimire Bishwakarma Dies in Khumbu Icefall
Initial reports suggest cardiac arrest linked to high-altitude sickness may have caused his death.
His body was later airlifted by Altitude Air to Lukla before being transferred to Kathmandu for post-mortem examination at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
A Historic Figure in Nepal’s Mountaineering Community
Bijay Ghimire Bishwakarma was widely respected in Nepal’s climbing community, not only for his mountaineering experience but also for breaking historic social barriers.
Bijay Ghimire Bishwakarma
Bijay Ghimire Bishwakarma is a Nepali mountaineer and high-altitude expedition guide known for his summits of Mount Everest and other Himalayan peaks. He represents a growing generation of professional Nepali climbers who guide international expeditions while advocating for safety, inclusion, and recognition of local Sherpa and Dalit guides in mountaineering.
Key facts
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Nationality: Nepali
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Profession: Mountaineer and expedition guide
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Notable ascent: Mount Everest
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Region of activity: Khumbu and greater Himalayan ranges
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Focus: Guiding, mountaineering safety, representation of marginalized Nepali communities
Early life and background
Born in Nepal, Bishwakarma grew up near the mid-hills region where exposure to trekking routes inspired his interest in mountaineering. Coming from a Dalit background, he faced systemic barriers in a field historically dominated by higher-caste groups, yet pursued rigorous climbing and rescue training to establish his credentials as a professional guide.
Mountaineering career
Bishwakarma gained prominence through his work with Nepali and international expedition teams on Everest and other peaks above 8,000 meters. As part of support crews and later as a lead guide, he contributed to successful summit operations emphasizing teamwork, acclimatization, and environmental stewardship. His achievements helped highlight the contributions of Nepali climbers beyond the traditional Sherpa narrative.
Advocacy and recognition
Beyond guiding, Bishwakarma uses his platform to raise awareness of inclusion and equitable pay for Nepali support staff in the mountaineering industry. His story has been featured in Nepali media as an example of determination and progress for underrepresented groups in adventure tourism. Through community outreach and mentorship, he encourages young Nepalis from diverse backgrounds to participate in climbing and outdoor leadership.
He had successfully summited Mount Everest four times and is recognised as the first person from Nepal’s Dalit community to scale the world’s highest mountain.
Beyond climbing, Ghimire had built a growing following as a travel content creator and YouTuber, documenting life in the Himalayas and sharing the realities of high-altitude expeditions with audiences across Nepal.
This season, he was part of an expedition operated by TAG Nepal Treks and Expeditions.
Everest 2026 Season Faces Mounting Risks
Ghimire’s death comes during one of the busiest and most challenging Everest seasons in recent years.
The Department of Tourism has issued a record 492 climbing permits for Everest this spring, surpassing the previous high of 479 permits issued in 2023. Climbers from 55 countries are currently attempting the mountain as commercial expeditions prepare for summit pushes in mid-May.
This year’s season has already been heavily affected by dangerous ice conditions in the Khumbu Icefall one of the deadliest sections of the South Col route.
A massive unstable serac delayed the opening of the climbing route for weeks, forcing expedition teams to postpone acclimatisation rotations and compressing the summit window into a much shorter period.
After extensive route work, a joint rope-fixing team under the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal and the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee finally opened the route to Camp IV at the South Col on May 8.
However, the danger in the icefall remains extremely high.
Khumbu Icefall Remains a Major Threat
Earlier this week, a serac collapse inside the Khumbu Icefall injured two climbers moving toward Camp II. The SPCC had already warned climbers that the unstable ice formation could collapse “at any time.”
The ice block was estimated to be roughly 55 metres long and heavily fractured, creating constant risk for climbers, guides, and load-carrying Sherpas crossing the route.
Despite the hazards, summit preparations are now accelerating as expedition operators race against changing weather conditions and the narrow spring climbing window.
Second Death of the Everest Season
Ghimire’s death is the second confirmed fatality of the 2026 Everest season.
The first occurred on May 4, when veteran Sherpa climber Lakpa Dendi Sherpa died after falling while trekking between Gorakshep and Everest Base Camp during the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Everest Expedition.
Lakpa Dendi Sherpa
Lakpa Dendi Sherpa is a record-setting Nepali mountaineer and high-altitude guide renowned for his multiple rapid ascents of Mount Everest and other 8,000-meter peaks. A professional climber from Solukhumbu, Nepal, he holds several Guinness World Records for his extraordinary climbing feats and is among the most accomplished Sherpa guides of his generation.
Key facts
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Born: 1988, Mahakulung, Solukhumbu, Nepal
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Profession: High-altitude climbing guide, expedition director
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Organization: Taktok Brothers Treks & Expedition
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World records: Three Everest summits in 10 days (2018); Everest–K2 in 59 days
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Autobiography: Himalayan Maverick (2023)
Early life and career
Lakpa Dendi Sherpa grew up in the Solukhumbu region, birthplace of many Himalayan climbers. Beginning as a porter, he quickly developed technical expertise and resilience that led him to become a licensed high-altitude guide. His early rope-fixing work on Mount Manaslu in 2014 marked the start of a career that has spanned more than three decades of Himalayan expeditions.
Mountaineering achievements
By 2025, Sherpa had completed 33 successful ascents of 8,000-meter peaks, including eleven of Mount Everest, multiple climbs of Lhotse, Manaslu, and Dhaulagiri, and two of K2. His 2018 Everest triple summit in ten days and his Everest–K2 double within 59 days established him as a world-record holder. He later joined Project Possible in 2019, contributing to multiple 8,000-meter climbs in record time.
Leadership and honors
Sherpa serves as Director of Taktok Brothers Treks & Expedition and has assisted numerous international teams. He participated in winter and rope-fixing expeditions on K2, Cho Oyu, and Ama Dablam. In 2024 he was honored on Annapurna Day for his contributions to Nepal’s climbing community.
Publications and advocacy
His autobiography Himalayan Maverick, launched at Everest Base Camp in 2023, recounts his journey from porter to record-breaking mountaineer. Sherpa advocates for the recognition of Nepali climbers’ intellectual and physical achievements, aiming to inspire the next generation of Himalayan adventurers.
Meanwhile, another grim discovery shocked the mountaineering community earlier this month when Icefall Doctors recovered an unidentified body buried beneath ice between Base Camp and Camp I. DNA testing is underway to confirm the identity.
Record Numbers, Rising Pressure
This season is shaping up to be one of the most crowded in Everest history.
Across all 30 permitted Himalayan peaks in Nepal, authorities have issued more than 1,100 climbing permits, generating over Rs 1.24 billion in royalties.
With hundreds of climbers now moving through the Khumbu Icefall and toward the upper camps, concerns are growing about congestion, safety management, rescue coordination, and the increasing pressure placed on Sherpa guides working in dangerous conditions.
Attention is also focused on legendary climber Kami Rita Sherpa, who is attempting what could become his record-extending 32nd summit of Everest and potentially his final ascent.
As the summit window approaches, the mountain has once again reminded the world that despite modern logistics, drones, fixed ropes, and commercial expeditions, Everest remains unpredictable and unforgiving.