Hundreds of expedition members are waiting for the gigantic and unstable block of ice that prevents a minimally safe route from being traced through the Khumbu Glacier to Everest Camp 1 in Nepal to collapse. The official team of Sherpas who inspected the area in recent hours has concluded that it is not prudent to proceed with equipping the itinerary until the serac collapses, as reported by Everest Today. In an effort to find a solution as soon as possible, the prominent guide Mingma G announced that a group of Sherpas from his company, Imagine Nepal, and other agencies have explored a possible alternative route in the Khumbu to Camp 1, which they could not complete due to adverse weather conditions.
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Time is running out and nervousness is growing as the Everest season normally concludes at the end of May and the monsoon arrives in June. Given the impossibility of undertaking acclimatization rounds on Everest, mountaineers are doing so on nearby peaks.
Nepal has issued 425 permits to climb Everest
The latest data from the Government of Nepal indicates that it has issued 425 climbing permits for Everest, which have brought in more than six million dollars. The country with the most candidates to summit the roof of the world is China, with 98 aspirants; followed by the United States, with 57, and India, with 46. Óscar Arroyo from Navarre is one of the four Spaniards who has processed the authorization to date. “We are still waiting, a correct route has not yet been opened, it is expected in the coming days, this is very tough,” he replied this afternoon by email. Arroyo wants to complete his Seven Summits project on Everest.
Expedition leaders appeal for patience and trust that the block of ice will soon melt. When this happens, the Sherpas in charge of equipping the itinerary with fixed ropes and ladders, the Icefall Doctors, will be able to continue their work. Their role, combined with the use of artificial oxygen, is crucial to enable people from all over the world to traverse the path to the summit, at 8,848.86 meters.
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The threatening serac is visible on the route to Camp 1, and everyone is mindful of the 2014 tragedy, when 16 Sherpas perished, trapped by an avalanche in the Icefall, an unstable labyrinth of crevasses and ice blocks.
From base camp, Pasang Kidar Sherpa, one of the regular guides on Everest, reiterates that they must wait, that climbing now is very dangerous.
If the situation is not resolved soon, there is a proposal to extend the season until mid-June, even though it will already be the rainy season, and even to allow helicopters to transport clients and material directly to Camp 2, thus avoiding passage through the serac area, according to Kathmandu Post.
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