next Image 1 of 2prev Image 2 of 2Nepal's reluctance to limit the number of permits it issues to scale Mount Everest has contributed to dangerous overcrowding, with inexperienced climbers impeding others and causing deadly delays, seasoned mountaineers said. "There were more people on Everest than there should be," said Kul Bahadur Gurung, general secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, an umbrella group of all expedition operators in Nepal. From Camp Four at 8,000 meters (26,240 feet) to the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) peak, the final push on Everest is known as the "death zone." This year, permits were issued to 381 people, the highest number ever, according to the government. Another factor was China's limit on the number of permits it issued for routes in its territory on the north side of Everest this year for a clean-up.

Source: Fox News May 28, 2019 10:18 UTC