Kathmandu - Two Sherpa guides were the first people of the year to climb the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, from its Nepalese side, government officials said Thursday.

Mingma Sherpa and Panaru Sherpa reached the summit of 8,848-metre Mount Everest Wednesday, the Tourism Ministry's mountaineering division said.

A total of 28 expeditions have been given permission to scale the mountain in the current spring climbing season.

The season from late March to the end of May is the most popular among mountaineers because of better weather.

Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal were the first people to reach the summit of Everest on May 29, 1953. Since then, 2,700 climbers have reached the summit, and 210 have died trying.