An American climber is killed while climbing Mount Everest.

A US climber has died on his way to scale Mount Everest on Monday, according to an expedition organizer. Seattle-based Jonathan Sugarman was part of an expedition arranged by Washington state-based International Mountain Guides (IMG) with Beyul Adventure handling the local logistics. His body remains at Camp 2 with the rest of the climbing team. Nepal has issued permits for a record 463 climbers by April 26, for this spring season’s expeditions to Mount Everest. The Embassy of the United States issued a statement following Sugarman’s death, expressing its deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

Spring is the most popular time to climb Mount Everest, with most climbers aiming to ascend the peak in May. There is a brief window of time – usually after mid-May – when temperatures are warmer and the high-altitude winds have moved away from the mountains. The climbers, along with staff members and Sherpa guides, spend nearly two weeks hiking to the Everest base camp, which sits at an altitude of around 17,000 feet. This has raised concerns among mountaineers about dangerous overcrowding at the summit Nepali authorities are setting up ropes to avoid overcrowding on the "death zone" of Everest. Three Sherpas died last month after being buried by a block of snow on the mountain, delivering materials to construct and clear a route for climbers to get to the top. Nepal is home to eight of the 10 highest mountains in the world, so mountaineering is a significant source of revenue for Sherpas, despite the risks associated with climbing Everest.