KATHMANDU, Nepal – A team of Nepalese guides has become the first expedition to scale Mount Everest during this year’s climbing season, setting the ropes for the hundreds of climbers who will follow.

Nepal’s Department of Tourism says the specially chosen team of expert guides fixed ropes up to the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) summit on Tuesday.

There are 41 different teams with a total of 378 climbers who have been permitted to scale the world’s highest mountain during the spring climbing season. There are an equal number of Nepalese guides helping them to get to the summit.