The Sherpas’ appraisal of the condition of the Khumbu Icefall continues to range from better-wait-and-see to cautious optimism.
The official Icefall rope fixers, known as the Icefall Doctors, have partnered with a second team of Sherpas who usually focus on the upper sections of the route. On their return from a scouting mission, they gave a sobering verdict, clearly expressed below by Milan Rai, a Nepalese guide with 8K Expeditions.
However, a later report by Mingma G, leader of the Imagine Nepal team, said that another group of Sherpas, plus skier Barket Ziemski of Poland, had found an alternative route that looked safe. Today, we spoke with Saila Mingma of AltiPro Adventures, one of the Sherpa guides who scouted this potential route. He offered a more cautious appraisal:
We found a possible line on the left side, but I cannot confirm yet if it is safe or usable. At this stage, I can’t say whether the route will open or not. We need to check it again. It was cloudy and snowing with no visibility, so we returned to Base Camp.
However, Saila Mingma is confident that the route across the Icefall will open soon. He also confirmed there are no climbers above Base Camp at the moment.
Mike Hamill of Climbing the 7 Summits called for patience after a massive meeting in Base Camp. He noted that the Icefall Doctors will check conditions again tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Mingma G provided more details about yesterday’s scouting trip. “[We] reached the ice blockage area and…made the decision to climb the wall,” he wrote. “After the wall, everything looked similar to the previous year, as the route followed the same path [until] close to Camp 1.” Near C1, he went on, a whiteout prompted the team to turn around, “but the work was done.”
Explainer: Not blocked but dangerous
It is worth noting that the Khumbu Icefall is not physically blocked or impassable: Climbers could make their way to Camp 1…if they were ready to take high risks with the unstable serac, which is not on but right above the passage. It continues to sluff chunks of ice ranging from basketball-sized to car-sized.
A small group climbing at the coldest time of day might decide to assume that risk and cross quickly. But that is not an option for the hundreds who will need to use that route in the upcoming days. This includes many inexperienced climbers with their guides, porters carrying loads, staff assigned to the higher camps, rope fixers, etc.
This is why the Icefall Doctors and teams need a relatively safe route. Serac collapses have caused the highest number of deaths on that side of Everest. Given the current delay, long lines will form at the Icefall as soon as everyone has the green light to proceed. A serac fall during such a rush hour could kill dozens.
Yesterday’s Sherpa group transports ladders through the Khumbu Icefall. Photo: EliteExped
