BURSTAmerican climber and trail runner Tyler Andrews has reportedly set a new speed record for an oxygen-assisted ascent of Mount Everest, reaching the summit from Base Camp in just 9 hours and 55 minutes.
According to live tracking updates, he left Everest Base Camp at 7:11 p.m. and stood on the summit at 5:06 a.m. local time. The ascent eclipses the long-standing oxygen-assisted speed record established by Lakpa Gelu Sherpa in 2003 of 10 hours and 56 minutes. If confirmed, Andrews beat the existing record by over an hour.
Andrews has become a recognizable figure in the growing discipline of mountain speed records, combining elite ultrarunning fitness with technical mountaineering. Over the past several years, he’s built a reputation for rapid ascents and descents on some of the world’s best-known peaks.
His record-setting efforts accelerated in 2021 with fastest-known ascents on Ojos del Salado, the world’s highest volcano, and Ecuador’s Cotopaxi. Between 2022 and 2024, Andrews added speed records on peaks including Mount Fuji, Aconcagua, Mount Kilimanjaro, Manaslu, Mera Peak, and Ama Dablam.
By 2024, Andrews claimed more than 85 mountain and trail records across five continents, establishing himself as one of the leading endurance-focused climbers in the world.
The Everest ascent also comes after a difficult previous year on the mountain. In March 2025, Andrews announced plans to pursue the fastest ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen, a far more demanding objective that remains one of the ultimate tests in high-altitude alpinism.
He launched multiple attempts during the spring season and returned again in late September, but severe conditions repeatedly forced retreats. During one push, Andrews reportedly climbed as high as 26,400 feet before turning around due to unstable snowpack and avalanche danger. He attempted again this spring without bottled oxygen, but was airlifted down from around camp two.
Unlike those earlier attempts, the latest ascent used supplemental oxygen, allowing for a significantly faster pace through the upper mountain. While oxygen-assisted and unsupported categories are generally considered separately in mountaineering records, Andrews’ new mark is nevertheless likely to reignite debate about speed climbing ethics and style.
Further verification details from Nepal tourism officials and independent record trackers are expected in the coming days.
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