Expedition operators are considering airlifting all necessary supplies to Camp II of Mount Everest as the opening of the Khumbu Icefall route encounters unforeseen delays, casting doubt over success of the 2024 climbing season. The Khumbu icefall, a glacial river just above the base camp to Camp I, is the only access point to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse and Mount Nuptse. 

Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, said that the unforeseen delay in opening the route was affecting the logistical arrangements for the season. The route through 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.

"We need to transport food, tents, and other necessary equipment to the higher camps in advance, which hasn't happened yet. That's why we are considering airlifting everything instead of using carrying them up," said Sherpa. 

Seven Summit Treks, one of the biggest agencies based in Kathmandu, has nearly 100 climbers preparing to ascend Everest and the sister peaks in the massif, and the supplies for their expeditions must be taken to Camp I, Camp 2, and beyond well before the climbers reach there.

Eight icefall doctors have been working almost every night since March 14 to open a route through the Khumbu icefall without much success.  A possible route has now been identified but yet to be finalized, according to Tshering Tenzing Sherpa of Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), the non-profit that handles the task of opening up the route up to Camp II. 

Khimlal Gautam, a member of the government task force overseeing the 2024 expedition, said that previous attempts to open the route in recent weeks had failed because the icefall doctors encountered large and impassable ice boulders and seracs.

“It won't take much longer now,” said Gautam. 

It has been understood that the icefall doctors have identified a potential workable route and are working to open up a way near the western spur.  This is considered a dangerous route which has been avoided since the deadly avalanche in 2014 that had claimed the lives of 16 Nepali guides. It is unclear how much longer it will take to fix the rope and place ladders through here.

Besides logistical woes, expedition agencies are also concerned that this may overcrowd the route with climbers all trying to acclimatize at the same time and even cause traffic jams near the summit like in previous years with record ascent. At least 250 climbers have acquired climbing permits so far. The number is expected to be in line with the previous year, when 478 permits were issued, according to Rakesh Gurung of the Department of Tourism. 

In anticipation of possible further delays, expedition operators have begun lobbying government authorities to relax the existing requirement for helicopter use. They want the government to allow the use of helicopters to shuttle all goods, rather than solely for search and emergency rescue purposes as currently required. 

Although agencies have occasionally been permitted to drop heavy equipment, the current provision limits helicopter use above the base camp.

An operator who wanted to remain anonymous said that the rationale was not to overuse the Khumbu icefall and push sherpa guides and porters to risk. 

"There would be around 500 to 600 Sherpas who would have to make at least seven rounds between the base camp and Camp I, Camp 2, and Camp 3. And there would be hundreds of climbers who would make at least two to three rounds during the acclimatization. That means there would be 7,000 human feet crossing such a sensitive stretch which is susceptible to serac collapse and avalanche. Allowing helicopters to carry large load would reduce the stress on the fragile ice," said the operator.

Various stakeholders, including government authorities, local bodies, agencies, the Nepal Mountaineering Association, and non-profits like SPCC, collaborate to ensure the success of expeditions. Responsibilities are divided, with the SPCC managing the opening of routes up to Camp 2, while the expedition operator’s association handles the route from Camp 2 to the summit with fixed ropes. On top of the USD 11000 permit royalty paid to the government, SPCC charges climbers USD 600 for using the icefall route.

According to the SPCC, the team responsible for managing the 2024 spring icefall route includes Tshering Tenzing Sherpa as the Base Camp Manager, eight icefall doctors (Ang Sarki Sherpa, Dawa Nuru Sherpa, Pemba Tshering Sherpa, Ngima Tenzi Sherpa, Ngawang Chimmi Sherpa, Dawa Chhiri Sherpa, Dawa Zangbu Sherpa, and Mingma Gyaljen Sherpa), two kitchen staff (Ngawang Thanten Sherpa and Wangdi Gelbu Sherpa), and a garbage management staff (Yam Bahadur Lama).