Nepal has issued a record number of permits to climbers attempting to reach the top of Mount Everest.
Some 372 people - the majority of which are foreign climbers - have received permission from Nepal's Department of Tourism to climb the 8,848 metre peak in the Himalayas, said senior government officer Durga Dutta Dhakal.
Dhakal said the number, which doesn't include around 400 local mountain guides, cooks and porters who support expeditions, was the highest in recent years.
A total of 42 expedition teams received permission for this year, he said. Last year, 34 groups with 289 members had been given permission to climb Everest.
"Most of them had to abandon their attempt after the earthquake in 2015. We had extended the validity of the permits for five years. So they came to take advantage of that," Dhakal said.
Temba Tsheri Sherpa, an expedition organiser, said a team of 12 climbing Sherpas had fixed ropes up to Camp 4, which is at an elevation of 8000 metres.
"They will leave for the summit early Saturday. They will be the first ones to reach the top in this season," he said.
While the Everest base camp was windy and snowy, a weather window on the summit was likely to open over the weekend and next week, Sherpa said.
Ueli Steck, a veteran Swiss climber, died near Everest on Sunday, the first fatality of this year's spring climbing season, which runs between April and May.
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