Kathmandu, April 28
A weeks-long obstruction above Everest Base Camp has cleared, allowing route-fixing teams, known as “Icefall Doctors,” to resume work on the main climbing route to the summit of Mount Everest.
The team had been halted for nearly three weeks due to a massive ice blockage in the Khumbu Icefall between Base Camp and Camp I. The obstruction, caused by a large serac fall, made it impossible to proceed. After waiting for natural melting to clear the route, the blockage has now eased.
“The deadlock in the Khumbu Icefall has been resolved today,” said Rishiram Bhandari, General Secretary of the Mountaineering Operators Association of Nepal. “Following the natural clearance, Icefall Doctors have moved from Camp I towards Camp II. This is positive news.”
The experienced route-fixing team had reached Base Camp in early April to prepare the climbing route for the spring expedition season by installing ropes and ladders.
According to Phurgelje Sherpa, President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, the route was blocked by large ice formations even before reaching Camp I, in the high-risk Khumbu Icefall section.
The government assigns responsibility for route fixing on Everest to the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee and the Mountaineering Operators Association. Typically, the SPCC manages the route from Base Camp to Camp II, while Icefall Doctors from the association work above that section. However, due to this year’s unusual obstruction below Camp I, the government also authorised the association to assist in route construction and rope fixing in the Icefall.
A ministerial decision on Baisakh 11 allowed expedited work on the climbing routes of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse, particularly in the Khumbu Icefall.
Following the approval, a joint team was deployed to complete the route.
Climbing activities on Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse typically begin in early May and conclude by mid-May. Hundreds of climbers and support staff have already reached Base Camp for acclimatisation and preparation.
According to the Department of Tourism, 425 climbers from 42 teams have obtained permits to climb Everest this season, including 97 women. For Nuptse, 42 climbers from four teams have received permits, while 111 climbers from nine teams have permits for Lhotse.
A field office has also been set up at Everest Base Camp by the Department of Tourism to monitor and facilitate mountaineering activities. So far this year, the department has issued climbing permits to 996 climbers for 29 पर्वतारोहण peaks across Nepal.
