For a quick listen, under 5 minutes of audio above will get you the highlights, and lowlights too perhaps, of Everest 2025.

The 2025 Everest season was a dichotomy of technology and tradition on Everest.

From record-breaking ascents in under a week, to no supplemental oxygen summits, to Sherpa climbers setting yet more benchmarks, to others with records both too numerous and too obscure to remember.

A British team, organized by Furtenbach Adventures, utilized Xenon Gas to prepare for their ascent. The team departed London on May 16 and reached the summit on May 21, completing the journey in just five days. If you are in a hurry and your main concern is getting your Everest climb over with, this seems the way to go.

Between the jet lag, helicopters, climbing at night, coupled with the need to climb in any conditions to get the mountain in this time frame, any memories may just make it feel like a bad dream though?

Meanwhile, Andrew Ushakov, a U.S.-based Ukrainian climber set a new record by ascending from sea level in New York to Everest’s summit in 3 days, 23 hours, and 7 minutes, utilizing pre-acclimatization techniques, but notably, no Xenon Gas. It does beg the question as to whether the Xenon Gas does much good at all – or is even necessary?

Seems Andrew’s biggest upset in his timetable was being found at Kathmandu airport on departure carrying $20,000 in cash, a big no-no in Nepal, which landed him in jail before posting a hefty bail.

And in a year when some climbers were seen leaving Base Camp with their oxygen already turned on, at the other end of the spectrum, a number of climbers never used it all, including the talented German mountaineer Anja Blacha, who summited Everest on May 27 without supplemental oxygen. Having already climbed Everest from both the North and South sides with oxygen, and with only two peaks left  to have completed all 14 – 8,000 metre peaks without oxygen, her quiet and highly competent approach stands in welcome contrast, letting her accomplishments speak for themselves.

Meanwhile the Sherpa records continued to fall, with Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa achieving four summits within two weeks, climbing on May 9, 14, 19, and 23, setting a new benchmark for rapid, repeated ascents.

And Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit for a phenomenal 31st time on May 27, extending his own record for the most ascents of Everest.

Tyler Andrews, an American endurance athlete, made three attempts to set the fastest known time to the summit, with his final attempt on May 27 ending approximately 500 meters below the summit.  The Ecuadorian Karl Egloff also made a strong attempt, reaching Camp 3. Physically both these climbers are probably well suited to set new records, but the mix of strategy, equipment, timing, weather and fitness must all align perfectly and this wasn’t the year for that.

Expedition Leader and Guide Garrett Madison led his 17th expedition to Everest, achieving his own personal 15th summit, now tied with Dave Hahn for the Americans with the most times to the top. As far as non Sherpa ascentionists, British Guide Kenton Cool extended his total to a rather astounding 19 ascents.

Meanwhile, Adrian Ballinger’s Alpenglow Expeditions were over on the Tibetan side, summiting on 27 May, and again like last year, had the mountain to themselves on their end of season ascent.

Norwegian climber Kristin Harila showed up at Everest as well, making a late season attempt, but was turned around like many others this year by the inconsistency of the weather.

It would be remiss (reminded by my younger sister) to not mention Emma Schwerin, the young American who not only summited Everest at the age of 17 (and a height of under 5 feet, or 152 cm), but also completed the 7 summits with her ascent of Everest.

Also 17, Li Haorong, from Beijing, China summited on the North side of Everest, after earlier ascents of a host of peaks in China, including 8,000 metre Cho Oyu.

Overall Nepal issued 468 climbing permits for the season and over 300 climbers reached the summit. Considering the number of climbers it was also a year of relatively low fatalities, although as Ben Ayers highlighted in his excellent Everest Live dispatches, some of this was due to some spectacular rescues by the Sherpas of people who were climbing (as opposed to climbers)  who were both incompetent and pushed themselves too far, an increasingly frightening trend when the less experienced push themselves until they drop, then need to be literally carried down.

The 2025 Everest season highlighted both human achievements and the continued controversy around turning the mountain into little more than a high altitude climbathon.

Of course, there is always the still rather remote North Side of Everest which offers spectacular climbing, and over the last two years has seen teams summiting alone, including Scott Cutlan who climbed with his lone Sherpa to the top and back, as covered in an insightful hour-long interview on the ‘Art of the Pivot.’