A 16-member expedition team organized by Imagine Nepal successfully summited Mount Everest on Wednesday, marking the company’s first successful Everest summit group of the 2026 spring climbing season.
According to the expedition organizer, the climbers reached the summit of the world’s highest peak between 10:38 AM and 10:48 AM Nepal time. The summit team included six international climbers from Norway, Canada, and China, along with ten Sherpa climbers and support staff.
International Climbers Achieve Successful Summit
The international climbers who reached the summit included Hakon Andreas Hyttedalen and Hanne Nicole Briedis Hyttedalen from Norway, Charles Antoine Lanthire from Canada, and Chinese climbers Li Yitong, Hu Haina, and Liu Haibo.
Among the notable achievements was the successful ascent of Canadian climber Charles Antoine Lanthire, who summited Everest after overcoming stage 4 lymphoma. The climb was carried out in support of a cancer charity campaign, adding emotional significance to the expedition. The Norwegian husband-and-wife pair, Hakon Andreas Hyttedalen and Hanne Nicole Briedis Hyttedalen, also successfully stood on the summit together at approximately 10:42 AM.
Sherpa Team Played Key Role in Route Preparation
Imagine Nepal officials stated that the expedition faced significant challenges before the summit push due to delays in fixing the summit route. According to Mingma G of Imagine Nepal, the company’s Sherpa climbers independently climbed toward the South Summit without external support when the final route had not yet been fully established, helping make summit attempts possible for multiple expedition teams on the mountain.
“When the summit route was not fixed, our Sherpas stepped in by climbing to the South Summit without support and making the summit possible for every team on the mountain that day,” Mingma G stated. “If there is the will, even three people are enough.”
Summit Fixing Team Recognized
The summit fixing and advance support team included Ila Nuru Sherpa, Fura Namgya Sherpa, and Pasang Ngima Sherpa, who played a crucial role in opening the route toward the summit. The broader Sherpa support team also included Dawa Tenjin Sherpa, Lakpa Tamang, Jit Bahadur Sherpa, Lakpa Nuru Sherpa, Angdu Sherpa, Ngima Nuru Sherpa, and Jangbu Sherpa.
Everest Climbing Season Gains Momentum
The successful ascent marks another major milestone in Nepal’s ongoing 2026 spring mountaineering season, which officially began after route-fixing teams completed rope installation to the summit earlier this week.
Expedition operators say improving weather conditions and successful route preparation are now allowing larger numbers of climbers to begin summit attempts on Everest and other major Himalayan peaks.
Nepal’s spring climbing season remains one of the busiest periods for international mountaineering expeditions, attracting climbers from around the world while showcasing the expertise and critical contributions of Nepal’s Sherpa climbing community.
