A group of eight sherpas reached the summit of Mount Everest on Sunday, fixing ropes and clearing paths for other climbers to make their ascent to the peak, a government official in Nepal said.
The guides are among the first mountaineers to reach the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) summit during this year's climbing season, said Gyanendra Shrestha, a tourism official. With clear weather, it is expected that several climbers will reach the peak in the coming days.
About 340 foreign climbers and many Nepalese sherpas will attempt to reach the summit of Everest this month.
Sherpas are chosen to open the way to the summit and fix ropes for other climbers.
There are only a few days of good weather on the highest part of the mountain during May, and that is when climbers rush to reach the summit. (I)