Earlier today, a huge serac collapsed in Everest’s Khumbu Icefall. No one was injured, but the shifting ice destroyed some of the Sherpas’ work.
Khunga Sherpa, a guide for Furtenbach Adventures, reported on the incident and photographed the Icefall from Base Camp, showing a line of climbers waiting to cross an open crevasse.
This photo from Everest Base Camp shows a group of climbers in the Khumbu Icefall, where a serac collapsed this morning. Photo: Khunga Sherpa
Ladders down
The Khumbu Icefall is a broken section of the Khumbu Glacier, low on the South Side of Everest. The incident took place in one of the most technical passages, where the Sherpa team in charge of maintaining the route between Base Camp and Camp 2 had attached four aluminum ladders to cross a big, open crevasse.
The ladders fell as the ice collapsed. However, the Ice Doctors reaffixed the ladders later that morning, so the delay was not serious.
These days, the Icefall is busy. Most Everest climbers are already on the mountain. The majority are training near Base Camp, but a few have already set off toward Camp 2 for their first rotation.
The Sherpa staff has hurried just ahead to set up that huge camp, located at around 6,400m. The first teams in Camp 2 pitch their tents as far up as possible, so their clients can reach the Lhotse Wall and Camp 3 sooner. Despite the altitude, the big, flat Western Cwm reflects the sun and can get extremely hot. Climbers try to start up the steep Lhotse Face to Camp 3 as soon as possible.
Everest, left, and Lhotse from above the Western Cwm. Photo: Seven Summit Treks
