After relentless bad weather at the beginning of the season, a threatening serac on top of the Icefall, and problems with the use of drones, a new storm has halted the Sherpas who were hoping to finally reach the South Col.
” Over the past few days, it seemed like all the weather reports were aligning [toward good weather], but yesterday and today’s storms on Everest made it clear which weather reports we shall follow [and which not],” Mingma G of Imagine Nepal wrote today on Instagram, showing Everest Base Camp under heavy snowfall.
Things are even rougher at 6,400m at Camp 2, swept by wind and in the midst of a whiteout:
Due to the snowstorm, the rope fixers had to abandon their plans to reach the South Col today and retreated to Camp 3.
“The good news is that the weather on May 8 and 9 looks perfect for setting up the South Col,” Mingma G added. A 24-hour delay isn’t a big deal in an average season, but the progress has already been so delayed that every hour counts. The Sherpa team must reach the summit next week — and as early in the week as possible.
Everest Base Camp, 2026. Photo: Furtenbach Adventures
First traffic jams
At least, the fixed sections allow teams to do their rotations to Camps 2 and 3. That is the plan reported by large international teams such as Climbing the Seven Summits and Furtenbach Adventures. Until recently, their members have been acclimatizing on Mera Peak and will head to Camp 2 tomorrow.
Other teams headed up earlier this week, causing the first traffic jams of the season at the Khumbu Icefall. See the video below by Miles Sherpa of Summit Force.
Eventually, the Sherpa team had to lay a second ladder on the largest crevasse blocking the route. It was causing the biggest lines, as climbers needed time to build courage and gingerly cross the five tied-up ladders with an icy void under their feet.
