Officials reported that 410 foreign climbers have been issued permits to attempt the Mount Everest summit during the spring climbing season, which ends in May. However, a large ice block on the route just above the base camp has forced hundreds of climbers and local guides to delay their ascent.
Unstable Serac Halts Progress
Himal Gautam of Nepal's department of mountaineering confirmed on Friday that the serac between base camp and camp one was deemed unstable and too risky for climbers. The ice block is part of the Khumbu Icefall, a constantly shifting glacier known for deep crevasses and massive overhanging ice, some as large as ten-story buildings. This section is considered one of the most challenging and dangerous on the climb.
Officials are now working with climbers and expedition organisers to assess the situation while climbers wait at base camp. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which deploys teams to lay the climbing route, plans to conduct an aerial survey of the serac. Committee chair Lama Kazi Sherpa noted that the risk of avalanche is high, and they are waiting for the serac to melt to a safe level.
Historical Context and Risks
The Khumbu Icefall has a history of deadly incidents. In 2014, a chunk of the glacier sheared away, triggering an avalanche that killed 16 Sherpa guides as they carried equipment up the mountain. It remains one of the deadliest disasters in Everest climbing history.
Typically, "Icefall doctors"—elite guides who set ropes and secure aluminium ladders over crevasses—complete the annual route by mid-April. This year, the unstable serac has delayed that process. Hundreds of foreign climbers and roughly the same number of Nepalese guides and helpers are expected to attempt the summit next month during brief windows of favourable weather.
Since the first successful ascent on 29 May 1953 by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary, thousands have reached the 8,849-metre (29,032-ft) peak.
