A group of guides reached the summit of Everest on Saturday afternoon while fixing the line to the summit. Hundreds of climbers are behind them to scale the world’s highest peak for this season.
“Regardless of the emotional, physical, and mental challenges faced during this year’s Everest expedition, under the management of EOA (Expedition Operator Association of Nepal), Imagine Nepal’s route-fixing team of Sherpa has successfully concluded the third phase of Everest rope fixing,” Imagine Nepal Trek and Expeditions posted a briefing on their site.
Imagine Nepal was awarded the task of fixing the rope to the summit this year. The same team will fix the line to the summit of Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain for climbers.
The rope fixing team includes Dawa Gyalje Sherpa, Nima Nuru Sherpa, Lakpa Sona Sherpa, Dipen Gurung, Pasang Ngima Sherpa, Lhakpa Tenjing Sherpa, Phur Galjen Sherpa, Dawa Jangbu Sherpa and Suman Gurung.
The rope fixing team had fixed the line upto Camp IV by April 22 despite having to lose three members of the team in an accident in Khumbu Icefall. On April 12, Dawa Tseri Sherpa, Pemba Tenzing Sherpa and Lakpa Rita Sherpa, who were heading back from Camp II after droping the rope below Camp I, were swept into crevasse by a breakaway serac.
Every season, a team of climbing Sherpas known as Icefall Doctors build and maintain the route through Khumbu icefall – the most treacherous section of the mountain up to Camp II.
From there, a team of climbers fix the climbing rope to the summit. Commercial expedition starts only after the rope fixing team finishes laying down ropes up to the summit, making Everest climb attainable for all.
The government has issued 466 climbing permits for Everest and 127 permits for Lhotse this year. According to Khimlal Gautam, head of the liaison officers, commercial climbers will now begin their summit push from high camps.
Over 400 foreign climbers and their guides had left the base camp for summit push by Friday morning. They are expected to reach the summit by May 14.
Mingma G. Sherpa, managing director of Imagine Nepal said the rope fixing team had removed old ropes to make expedition safer. “They also cleaned up mountains by removing old ropes to keep the mountain clean and for safety of climbers. Lots of accidents happens because of old ropes,” he said.
Everest sees first summit of the season as rope fixing team opens route to the top
