Ropes reach Camp III on Everest
Icefall risks persist as teams push toward the summit, with the route expected to be completed for all climbers by mid-May.
PC: Abiral Rai
Route to Camp III on Mount Everest has been fixed, expedition organisers said, as rope-setting teams push higher ahead of the spring summit window.
A joint rope-fixing team under the Expedition Operators Association Nepal completed laying lines up to Camp III, despite delays in extending ropes above Camp II.
“The rope fixing up to Camp III has been completed. Climbers can carry out acclimatisation rotations up to Camp III as they wish,” said Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions, who is coordinating the effort.
Expedition operators can now begin setting up tents and stocking supplies at higher camps, he added.
The route through the Khumbu Icefall — a hazardous stretch of shifting ice — was opened about a week ago, roughly two weeks later than usual due to unstable conditions.
Rope fixing above Camp II began only two days ago, after logistical equipment was ferried from Base Camp. Authorities granted permission to airlift supplies to Camp II, enabling teams to accelerate preparations towards the summit.
Sherpa warned that the Khumbu Icefall is not completely stable and requires caution. “Since the icefall is still tricky, there is a need to adopt caution while passing through,” he said.
A minor avalanche triggered by a collapsing serac injured two climbers on Tuesday morning. The delayed opening of the icefall route had been attributed to the same unstable ice formations, which climbers expect to collapse in the coming days.
The Expedition Operators Association Nepal aims to fix ropes to the summit by the second week of May, weather permitting — a few days later than last year, when the route was opened on May 9.
Nepal’s Department of Tourism has so far issued 464 permits to foreign climbers for Everest this spring. The same route serves as access to Mount Lhotse and Mount Nuptse. Authorities have issued 111 permits for Lhotse and 52 for Nuptse.
