At 8,848 meters, Mount Everest is the highest point on Earth and the ultimate objective in high-altitude mountaineering. First summited on May 29, 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa via the Southeast Ridge, the mountain has drawn climbers from around the world for over seven decades. Two standard routes exist for speed record purposes: the Southeast Ridge from the Nepal side, beginning at the stream crossing at the top of Everest Base Camp in the Khumbu Valley (5,300m), and the Northeast Ridge from the Tibet side, beginning at Base Camp on the Rongbuk Glacier (5,150m). Both routes are recognized independently for record-keeping purposes given their significantly different character, access, and logistics.
The Nepal Southeast Ridge, the more frequently attempted of the two, ascends through the Khumbu Icefall, across the Western Cwm, up the Lhotse Face, over the South Col, and along the Southeast Ridge to the summit, covering approximately 30 kilometers and 3,800 meters of vertical gain from Base Camp. Records on both routes are tracked separately for attempts made with and without supplemental oxygen. Speed records are measured from Base Camp to summit, with round trip times also noted.
We are adding this route in 2026. There is a long history of speed records on the mountain that our site doesn't yet reflect.
