American mountaineer Tyler Andrews has set a new speed record on Mount Everest using supplementary oxygen, reaching the summit of the world’s tallest mountain in less than 10 hours.
Gatekeepers News reports that the 36-year-old climber completed the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) ascent in 9 hours and 55 minutes on Thursday, beating the previous record of 10 hours and 56 minutes set in 2003 by Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa.
The achievement is still awaiting formal verification from Nepal’s mountain authorities.
According to updates shared on Andrews’ Instagram page, he reached the summit shortly before dawn, with live GPS tracking documenting his climb in real time.
“He reached Everest’s peak in just 9 hours 55 minutes,” team leader Dawa Steven Sherpa of Asian Trekking told AFP.
The Asian Trekking team explained that Andrews undertook the climb solo, while support crews supplied supplementary oxygen, food and water and monitored his progress during the ascent.
Earlier this month, Andrews attempted to break the record for climbing Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen — currently standing at 22 hours and 29 minutes — but was forced to turn back before reaching the summit.
Beyond the sporting feat, Andrews, who has described himself as a cancer survivor, is also using the expedition to raise funds for youth athletes in Ecuador and Nepal who lack access to coaching and sporting equipment.
This year’s Everest climbing season has seen more than 950 climbers successfully reach the summit as the weather window for expeditions begins to close.
Five deaths have been recorded on the mountain this season, including two Indian climbers and three Nepali mountaineering staff involved in Everest preparations. The figure is significantly lower than in 2023, when 18 people died during what became the deadliest season in Everest history.
