American athlete Tyler Andrews to attempt record-breaking speed ascent of Everest
Tyler Andrews aims to conquer Mount Everest from base camp to summit without supplemental oxygen, targeting a record held since 1998.
Tyler Andrews' Facebook post
American endurance athlete Tyler Andrews is set to embark on a record-breaking attempt on Mount Everest, aiming to complete the fastest ascent from base camp to the summit without supplemental oxygen. His climb is scheduled to begin around 11:30 p.m. Nepal time on May 10, with live tracking available on his website. Andrews has spent the past six weeks acclimatizing in Nepal for the high-altitude push.
The current record for the fastest ascent without supplemental oxygen is held by Kazi Sherpa, who completed the climb in 20 hours and 24 minutes in 1998. However, this record has been clouded by disputes over the use of supplemental oxygen during Kazi’s ascent.
Before Kazi Sherpa, French climber Marc Batard set the record with a time of 22 hours and 29 minutes in 1988. The history of Everest speed records is marked by controversy, including the 2003 claim by Pemba Dorje Sherpa, who reported a time of 12 hours and 45 minutes. This was challenged by Lakpa Gelu Sherpa, who achieved a verified time of 10 hours and 56 minutes. Pemba Dorje later claimed an even faster time of 8 hours and 10 minutes in 2004, earning a Guinness World Record. However, in 2017, the Nepalese Supreme Court invalidated this claim due to lack of evidence, reinstating Lakpa Gelu’s time as the official record.
Andrews, a professional runner and mountain athlete, has previously pursued speed records on major peaks in South America and Asia. This will be his first official speed attempt on Everest, which stands at 8,848.86 meters.
Everest’s spring climbing season runs from April through early June, attracting hundreds of climbers each year, weather permitting. According to Nepal’s Department of Tourism, 456 fee-paying climbers have obtained permits to climb Everest from the Nepal side this season, accompanied by their Sherpa guides and support teams.
