Khumbu Icefall route opens after two-week delay
Elite guides clear dangerous section after unstable serac blockage, allowing rope-fixing to resume toward higher camps
PC: Elite Exped
The Khumbu Icefall route on Mount Everest has finally been opened after delays caused by an unstable serac blocking the path, officials said.
A joint team of 13 elite mountain guides and icefall doctors on Tuesday opened the route through the treacherous section.
“The route is open through the Khumbu Icefall, and rope-fixing above Camp II will be expedited with more mountain guides to ensure the timely opening of the Everest summit,” said Pemba Sherpa, EOAN coordinator at base camp.
The rope-fixing team is continuing towards Camp II.
The opening of the Icefall route had been delayed by two weeks. By this time last year, rope-fixing had already reached Camp IV.
The icefall doctor team began route-opening efforts in mid-March. The passage through the Khumbu Icefall is usually secured by mid-April.
This year, however, progress was disrupted by strong winds, snowfall and large ice blocks blocking the route.
By mid-April, the route had been established up to the Rockfall Area below Camp I, but a large unstable ice block remained an obstacle. Icefall doctors initially recommended waiting for the ice to melt.
After progress stalled, icefall doctors and EOAN representatives conducted a helicopter inspection of the blockage area to identify the safest possible route. The following day, a joint team of climbers inspected the site on foot and concluded that conditions were still unsafe, recommending a further delay of a few days.
Commercial expedition operators had grown impatient due to the prolonged delay, having promised clients a safe passage to the summit.
On Sunday, an independent five-member team from Imagine Nepal, Elite Expeditions and Altipro — joined by Polish mountaineer Bartek Ziemski — moved above the contested section without official coordination, fixing ladders and ropes and reporting conditions considerably safer than previously assessed.
The team was forced to turn back just short of Camp I due to a whiteout, but their attempt prompted the SPCC and EOAN to carry out a further inspection of the same route. A full team push on Monday successfully opened the passage.
“We will leave no stone unturned to fix the line above Camp II, first to Everest and then Lhotse, to ensure a timely expedition,” Pemba Sherpa said, adding: “Everyone should be assured that the expedition will proceed on time.”
According to the Department of Tourism, 425 climbing permits have been issued for Everest, along with 111 for Lhotse and 42 for Nuptse. The Khumbu Icefall serves as the gateway to all three peaks.
