Icefall doctors, rope fixers feted for Everest route
Despite early delays and doubts over the season's success, Sherpas in the route-fixing team ensured that the summit push occurred within a similar weather window as the last year.
Icefall doctors and rope-fixing climbing guides were felicitated on Sunday for successfully opening the route of Mount Everest during the 2024 spring climbing season.
Khimlal Gautam, Chief of the Expedition Monitoring and Facilitation Field Office at the base camp, honored them with garlands and certificates for their work.
Despite initial doubts over the season's success due to a two-week delay in finding a reliable route through the Khumbu, the route-fixing team managed to open the route and lay ropes to the summit on time.
The 2024 icefall team included Tshering Tenzing Sherpa (Base Camp Manager), eight icefall doctors (Ang Sarki Sherpa, Dawa Nuru Sherpa, Pemba Tshering Sherpa, Ngima Tenzi Sherpa, Ngawang Chimmi Sherpa, Dawa Chirri Sherpa, Dawa Zangbu Sherpa, and Mingma Gyaljen Sherpa), two kitchen staff (Ngawang Thanten Sherpa and Wangdi Gelbu Sherpa), and one garbage management staff (Yam Bahadur Lama).
The rope-fixing team included ten members: Dendi Sherpa, Tenjing Gyaljen Sherpa, Pemba Tashi Sherpa, Lakpa Sherpa, Dawa Rinjee Sherpa, Dawa Sherpa, Pam Dorji Sherpa, Suk Bahadur Tamang, Namgyal Dorjee Tamang, and Lakpa Rinjee Sherpa.
Gautam, when he was member secretary of Mountaineering Monitoring and Facilitation Committee, started recognizing the job of climbing guides who take risk to make safe passage to the summit.
“It is their work that makes Everest climb safer and attainable for all,” Gautam told Everest Chronicle adding, “Success of expedition rely on their work. So, we must honor them for their heroic deeds.”
The opening of the route is crucial for commercial climbing, where it is customary to use fixed ropes for climbing. It involves two stages: first from the base camp to Camp 2 via the Khumbu Icefall, and then from Camp 2 to the summit.
The icefall doctors open the route from the base camp to Camp 2 under the management of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which charges fees to each climber for using the Khumbu Icefall route, the only access point to Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse.
The route from Camp 2 to the summit is built by the rope-fixing team under the management of the Nepal Expedition Operators Association. The association subcontracted the job to mostly Seven Summit Treks for this year.
These teams are active throughout the season, which typically lasts from April to May.
