What Is The 2 PM Rule On Everest?

The dream of climbing Mount Everest is full of adventures but is equally challenging. The high altitude, extreme weather conditions, low oxygen level, and limited rescue make the dream further challenging. And if you are a mountaineer or fan of mountaineering, you must be well aware of the rules and regulations during the summit of Mount Everest. The 2 PM rule on Everest is an important guideline that helps to maximize the safety of climbers.

This blog explains what the 2 pm rule o n Everest is and how it helped to minimize accidents and save lives for mountaineers in modern Everest expeditions. The reason behind the 2 PM rule, its practicality, and the risks of ignoring the rule are also explained.

2 PM Rule on Everest

The 2 pm rules on Everest are the important safety guidelines that require every climber to get back from attempting the summit to the base by 2 pm. If climbers are on the attempt to summit the top of Everest by 2 pm or delayed by any factors, the rules mandate climbers to turn to the safe side without any exceptions.

2 pm rules are important practices that help to reduce the risks and accidents on Everest due to various factors. This rule focuses on survival over summiting, as attempting to summit even after 2 pm increases the chance of getting caught in storms, extreme weather conditions, and exhaustion, especially in Everest’s death zone.

As most accidents occur during the descent, the rule helps climbers to get to the safe side. This rule was prioritized by professional expedition leaders Rob Hall and Scott Fischer to promote strict turnaround times ensuring safety during the early to mid-1990s.

Reason behind 2 PM rule

As we mentioned earlier, the main reason for introducing the 2 pm rule on Mount Everest is to reduce accidents and save the lives of climbers. The rules help climbers to escape risks related to high-altitude climbing. We provide the table below to explain the reason for the application of the 2 pm rule in Everest.

Reason	Explanation
Weather change	The weather of Everest changes rapidly after midday. There are high chances of storms or blizzards that affect the vision and conditions of climbers.
Limited oxygen	As oxygen level is limited in Everest’s death zone, you require supplemental oxygen, which is limited. As your summit goes beyond the time limit, the chance of oxygen shortage increases.
Extreme Fatigue	Exposure to high-altitude locations with extreme weather and oxygen limits the physical and decision-making ability of climbers.
Daylight Safety	Descending in daylight is safer than navigating to the high-altitude location during the dark.
Limited rescue operation	Rescue in the high altitude is limited and almost impossible after midday. It is better to eliminate potential risk by descending to a safe location before 2 pm.

How the 2 PM Rule Works in Practice?

The 2 pm rule applies to climbers on the summit day where they leave Camp IV at midnight. Climbers must set their goal to summit Everest early in the morning before noon. This is to ensure they begin their descent before midday and get safety from extreme weather.

If there are possibilities of climbers not reaching the summit before 2 pm, the 2 pm rules apply and the climber should return back to base. This rule is placed to save lives and casualties on Everest and make mountaineering adventures safe.

Risks of Ignoring the 2 PM Rule

While rules and regulations are placed for safety and organized climbing on Everest, ignoring the 2 pm rule can be severe. The risks of ignoring the 2 pm rule on Everest consist of the following:

• Bad weather: Ignoring the 2 pm rule and pushing to the summit might not be a good idea. There is a high chance of mountaineers getting trapped in harsh weather conditions like storms and blizzards.
  
• Oxygen depletion: During the descent, there is a high chance of casualties and accidents due to depletion of oxygen. It increases the chance of losing consciousness and decreases the ability to make better decisions.
  
• Darkness: Ignoring the 2 pm rule and pushing beyond the safe time increases the risk of darkness. Navigating during the dark increases the risk of getting lost, limits visibility, and increases exposure to freezing conditions.
  
•  Limits rescue operations: The ability to conduct the rescue operation at high altitude is limited as climbers struggle to navigate. Rescue operation after midday is almost impossible due to exposure to high-risk climate situations.

Conclusion

Adventure in Everest comes with various safety risks and limitations. For a safe and successful Everest climb, following the 2 pm rule helps to minimize the safety risks. The 2 pm rule helps in reducing risks related to depletion of supplementary oxygen, poor weather after midday, and lack of physical or mental strength of climbers by restricting their journey to summit in case they won’t make it before 2 pm. Reaching the top of Everest is a dream of many, but coming back safe is the real achievement.For more information about Everest and other peak summits in Nepal, visit some of our other blogs. Also visit Trekkers Nepal if you are planning to gain peak climbing experience or trek to epic trekking destinations in Nepal.