Rope fixing team hopes to open route up to Everest summit by mid-May
Seven seasoned Sherpa climbers have been deployed to fix the rope to the summit of Mount Everest, which serves as a lifeline for climbers to summit and descend back safely.
Just a week after the icefall doctors cleared the path from base camp to Camp II, a team of Sherpa climbers, experienced in rope-fixing, has begun the vital mission of laying down ropes all the way to the summit of Mount Everest.
In commercial climbing, fixing ropes is one of the most crucial task preceding the summit push as these secured ropes act as a lifeline for climbers navigating treacherous terrain.
Led by Tashi Sherpa, a seasoned mountaineer with years of experience, the seven-member team will undertake the crucial task of laying ropes and setting up essential infrastructure in Camp III and above.
This comes on the heels of recent effort by icefall doctors, employed by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, who successfully completed the task of fixing ropes and ladders in the treacherous Khumbu Icefall.
Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, the agency that is overseeing the rope fixing on behalf of the Nepal Expedition Operators' Association, said that the rope fixers have already begun their work at Camp II.
"The rope fixing team will establish base in Camp III by next week," said Sherpa.
Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks expects the rope fixing work to be completed by the second week of May, coinciding with the timing of the first ascent recorded last year. "A lot will depend on the weather, but the team will work as fast as possible," he said.
While the Nepali side of Mount Everest grapples with logistical issues due to delays in opening up the route through the Khumbu icefall, expeditions from the Tibetan side have been tackling a whole different issue because of delays by Chinese authorities in granting visas to high-altitude workers.
The total number of permits issued for Mount Everest has reached nearly 400, according to the Department of Tourism.
