Although the icefall route in Everest was opened a week ago, most logistical supplies have not been moved to higher camps for the summit of Mount Everest, expedition entrepreneurs said.
The route through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall was opened on April 16 in the third attempt along the western spur. There’s a new risk as the ground snow is not fully stable yet, said members of the rope fixing team.
“The snow ground is not fully stable, and I suggest you take precaution in carrying double load through the icefall section,” advised Tshering Tenzing Sherpa, basecamp manager of icefall doctors, while briefing high altitude workers at the base camp. “Some companies seem to ignore safety precautions and do not seem to use helmets. We urge you to use safety helmets at all times as there are chances of rock fall this time,” he further added.
There was an almost two weeks delay in opening the route through the treacherous icefall section as the icefall doctors stumbled upon ice blocks and crevasses along the usual route. The present route is longer, which is likely to further delay the opening route to the summit. The rope fixing team, tasked with setting the rope up to the summit after Camp II, is expected to reach Camp III only next week.
The delay in opening of the route has impacted the logistical aspect of the expedition. Some expedition operators are considering airdropping supplies near camp I to fasten the process.
Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, said that the agency is currently negotiating with helicopter companies to airdrop supplies near Camp I, from where they will be carried to the higher camps. “Most of our supplies are still at the base camp. We will airdrop them because we don’t have time to carry them through the icefall,” he told the Everest Chronicle on Wednesday.
Seven Summit Treks, one of the largest agencies based in Kathmandu, has nearly 100 climbers preparing to ascend Everest and the sister peaks in the massif. The supplies for expeditions must be taken to Camp I, Camp 2, and beyond well before the first summit push which is expected to begin somewhere in the second week of May.
When asked if he would obtain authorities’ approval to airdrop the supplies, Mingma said, “We don’t have time to move the supplies on foot due to the delay. We hope the authorities will understand, and accommodate us accordingly.”
Expedition operators are required to obtain prior permission from local authorities to use helicopters above the base camp, which is generally allowed only for emergency search and rescue purposes.
Expedition operators say that several other agencies are planning to airdrop supplies to avoid the icefall, which can only be crossed at night and is considered dangerous even without a load. The Khumbu Icefall, a glacial river just above the base camp, is the only access point to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, and Mount Nuptse. The route through the Khumbu Icefall is typically opened by early April, providing agencies and workers with sufficient time to transport essential supplies such as food, tents, fuel, and oxygen beforehand, but this year it was delayed by around two weeks because the icefall doctors twice hit dead ends due to serac.
According to Rishi Bhandari, general secretary of the Expedition Operator’s Association, the helicopter option is now being considered due to the risks associated with the Khumbu Icefall.
“Some are considering airlifting supplies because the hazardous conditions in the icefall make it hard to carry them using porters,” he said.
