How Climbers Are Still DYING On Everest in 2025

Spring marks the official climbing season for Everest. Each year, for two months, the jet streams shift just enough to provide climbers with a chance to reach the summit. In 2025, more than 430 foreign climbers obtained permits. When you include Sherpas, porters, and guides, the total number of people attempting to ascend the mountain rose to nearly 900. This year, the weather was particularly harsh and unpredictable. Favorable weather windows were brief, lasting only a few hours to a day. The optimal time for reaching the summit occurred over two days, from May 18th to May 19th. However, there were several other notable windows, including May 20th through 24th and May 14th through 16th. However, these short windows created long lines at high altitudes, as climbers often had to take turns behind one another in their pursuit of success. One of these climbers was Subrata Ghosh, a 44-year-old school teacher from West Bengal. He was neither inexperienced nor unprepared. He was well-trained and had successfully completed several impressive climbs throughout his career. However, as he ascended above 8,000 meters, he began to lose his sense of direction. On Everest, small mistakes are always magnified. Some of those decisions he made would be shrouded in controversy and tragedy. This is his story. If you've watched my channel before, you're familiar with the risks associated with the world's highest peak. I have countless videos telling all types of stories that have occurred on this mountain, so if you want to skip ahead to this year's stories, use the time stamps in the description. If you have not watched my videos before, well, first off, welcome! Secondly, this is Mount Everest, standing at 8,848.86 meters, or 29,021 feet. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. Climbing this peak is extremely challenging, primarily due to its elevation. As you ascend, the amount of oxygen in the air decreases, making it difficult to breathe, walk, eat, or sleep. In fact, even the most basic functions take ten times longer than they would in the comfort of your living room. At high altitudes, your body begins to shut down, which is why altitudes above 8,000 meters are referred to as the death zone. No living creature can survive at that height. If you do manage to function at that altitude, you have to watch out for avalanches, falling rocks and ice, hypothermia, falls, and of course, the weather. The good news is, at a price of 55,000 to 100,000 US dollars, you can join a team of climbers and sherpas to guide you all the way to the summit. In recent years, this has sparked a serious discussion about the legitimacy of the climb, as it has been criticized for being more of a tourist attraction than a mountaineering challenge. This is up to each individual to decide, but ultimately, money can only buy you so much. Climbing the mountain remains an extremely challenging and perilous endeavor. Absent in 2025 were the mass casualty events that often generate global headlines. In 2024, nine climbers died on the mountain, and in 2023, 18 lost their lives. At exactly 10pm on Wednesday, May 14th, Subrata Ghosh and his Sherpa Palchin Tamang set off from Camp 4 at approximately 7,900 meters. Their goal was to reach the summit before the end of the morning the following day, so they could begin their descent with plenty of light in the sky. The men were climbing the South Col route, meaning the most challenging part of the climb was still ahead of them, even though they were nearly to the top. The Hillary Step is a 40-foot vertical rock face, located at an altitude of 8,790 meters. It is considered the most technical part of the climbing route. This treacherous section has been the backdrop for many famous photographs, and tragically, two climbers fell to their deaths here in 2024, with the incident captured on video. I have a full video detailing the story that you can check out after watching this one. The two men had been preparing for the summit push for over a month. They had scaled the infamous Khumbu Icefall and various camps several times to acclimatize to the mountain. This process involves climbing to a certain height, spending time at that altitude, then descending back to base camp to rest, and repeating the cycle a little higher each time. This approach helps the body adjust and prepare for the final push into the death zone, but reaching this point, they were exhausted. Subrata was climbing with Snowy Horizons Treks, and the entire group was rooting them on, as they had already suffered one tragedy as an organization. Philip Santiago II, also known as PJ, was caught in an avalanche in early May, while climbing with the same organization as Subrata. Ever since I was a child, I've always had this urge of wanting to see the edge, and to come back and tell my story about it. Although he survived the avalanche, he sustained injuries to his face. After resting for six days at base camp, he was cleared to climb again, and on May 14th, after reaching Camp 4 at an altitude of 7,950 meters, PJ began preparing for the final push to the summit. However, he closed his eyes for a short rest, and never woke up. The weather wasn't a factor in his death. He was simply resting peacefully in his tent on oxygen, and then suddenly, he was gone. The team attempted CPR, but it was too late. He would be the fourth death on the mountain to that point. Lanima Sherpa passed away on April 2nd, 2025, due to high altitude sickness while in base camp. Gima Dorji Sherpa passed away in early May, after suffering a brain hemorrhage in base camp. The high altitude was considered to be a factor. Pin Chiri Sherpa had a heart attack in Camp 1 on May 4th, and now the first foreign climber had passed away during the climbing season with Philip Santiago. These tragedies only drove Subrata Ghosh further, pushing his will to reach the top. Subrata and his Sherpa, Tamang, made their slowly toward the Hillary Step, climbing from Camp 4 in the dark. Most climbers leave Camp 4 in the dead of night due to the rule known as the 2 o'clock rule. This rule states that if you cannot reach the summit by 2pm, you should turn around and begin your descent. Pushing to the top beyond this time means you will have to descend in the dark, which significantly increases the chances of an accident. Additionally, leaving Camp 4 in the dark, while the snow is colder and more compact, allows climbers to make a bid for the summit on more secure and compact snow. They climbed at a slow pace. Both men were already exhausted, but Subrata was moving particularly slowly. A few hours into their ascent, they had barely made it past 100 meters, and as the sun rose, they were still nowhere near the summit. Around 11am, over 12 hours after they began their climb, they finally reached the Hillary Step. However, a new problem had arisen. The wind had begun to pick up throughout the day, and was now raging around the two climbers. Additionally, they were stuck behind long lines. Another climber on the mountain was quoted as stating that above Camp 3, there were over 800 people during good weather windows. When we climbed up towards Camp 4, it was so crowded we could barely move. It should have taken us 8 hours to reach the camp, but it took us 11. Tamang began encouraging Subrata and making comments to motivate him, but Subrata insisted that he could make it to the top. He was experiencing what is known as summit fever. This term describes a climber's intense focus on reaching the summit of a mountain, believing that doing so will serve as their ultimate goal. They think that if they can just reach the top, everything will fall into place. However, the reality is that many climbers push themselves too hard, exhausting their bodies along the way and failing to conserve any energy for the descent. This mentality often leads to dangerous outcomes. As the sun reached its peak in the sky, it reflected off the bright snow as the two men slowly ascended. They had been waiting in line, and after hours of effort, they finally made it past the hillary steppe and reached the summit. It was 2pm on Thursday, 16 hours since they had left Camp 4, but Subrata and Tamang now stood atop the world. Subrata took this photo you are seeing on screen. Exhausted, the men spent a few minutes on the summit before beginning their descent. As they started the second leg of their climb, reality began to set in. Subrata was barely conscious as he walked, moving in small shuffles, as if he were trying to drag himself down the mountain. When they approached the hillary steppe, Subrata suddenly sat down on the trail. He looked at Tamang and said that he could not see anything and would no longer move. This was a clear sign of altitude sickness. Tamang pleaded with him, and to his surprise, Subrata agreed to continue descending. However, their oxygen levels were low, and Subrata was putting in minimal effort during the climb. Over the next 4 hours, the two men managed to descend only 100 meters. The usual descent from the summit to Camp 4 takes between 6 to 8 hours, which meant they were progressing significantly slower than expected. The sun had set, and Subrata was once again seated, this time with his Sherpa. Although Tamang was exhausted, he felt a strong sense of duty to assist Subrata in any way he could. He tried to radio down to Camp 4, but had no luck reaching anyone, whether due to his radio or the equipment of others, it's unclear. They spent the next 4 hours together in the dead of night, and by this point, nearly 2 days had passed since they had left Camp 4. Tamang faced a difficult decision. Should he continue to urge Subrata to ascend the peak, or should he prioritize his own safety and leave him behind? Tamang Sherpa made the decision to continue descending to Camp 4. There was nothing he could do for Subrata anymore. His oxygen had run out hours ago, so he was descending in the dark with no crutch, just him, the wind, and the tallest mountain in the world. It took him all night. The sun was creeping over the horizon, creating an orange glow shining across the snow, when Tamang stumbled into Camp 4. As he walked towards his team's tent, he muttered two words, he's gone. In 2025, there were no mass casualty events that typically generate global headlines. In contrast, 9 climbers died on the mountain in 2024, and 18 lost their lives in 2023. Experts attribute the relatively safe season in 2025 to several factors, including favorable weather patterns, the thorough preparation of expedition teams, and a condensed window of summit opportunities. Since the summit window did not open until the second half of May, teams had ample time to prepare enough oxygen bottles and supplies at Camp 4. This allowed for better organization, unlike in previous years, where there was often a rush to reach the summit. However, this does not guarantee a safe summit. In addition to the five deaths on the mountain, the lower camps were frequently visited by rescue helicopters. And there were numerous videos online showcasing evacuations from base camp all the way up to Camp 3. Since Camp 3 is located at 23,500 feet, any rescues are considered high altitude flights. The risk of flying a helicopter at that height is significantly higher than at lower elevations. Nevertheless, this year alone, three climbers were saved thanks to these pilots. It was reported that if rescue helicopters had not been able to reach them, the death toll could have risen to 8 instead of 5. Over the course of May, there were more than 100 rescue calls on the mountain. The end of Everest's climbing season occurred on May 29. Marked by a message of thanks on Instagram from the Sargamanta Pollution Control Committee, the non-governmental organization responsible for managing trash on the mountain, drones were used this year to help remove trash from the peak in an attempt to preserve the mountain for many climbing seasons to come. Even in tragedy, we can always find some good within each story. If you made it this far into the video, thank you. Until next time.