Climbing
The start of the spring climbing season on Mount Everest could be delayed as a problematic 100-foot-tall block of ice in the Khumbu Icefall is hampering workers preparing the route through one of the most dangerous sections of the mountain. The icefall, a chaotic jumble of ice blocks and crevasses, is one of the most hazardous parts of the South Col route on Mt. Everest.
The Icefall doctors, a team of experienced Sherpas working for the Nepalese government, establish a route through the icefall every spring using fixed ropes and ladders for crevasse crossings. With the route usually completed by mid-April, progress has now been halted by a large serac, or tower of glacier ice, standing more than 100 feet tall and highly unstable.
The serac is too dangerous to try to climb directly. Large pieces could fall off at any moment, or the whole thing could collapse. Ang Sarki Sherpa, one of the icefall doctors, the BBC that he and other sherpas spent four days searching for possible routes around the serac, but none are viable. The Icefall doctors, and the climbers already arriving in Nepal to begin their acclimatization, will that part of the serac had collapsed on April 22, and are hoping that the rest of it will follow in the next two or three days. Establishing the rest of the route through the Khumbu Icefall could take another three days, once the giant ice block becomes passable.
The serac is too dangerous to climb directly. Large pieces could fall at any moment, or the entire structure could collapse. Ang Sarki Sherpa, one of the Icefall doctors, told the BBC that he and other Sherpas spent four days searching for possible routes around the serac but found none viable. The Icefall doctors, along with climbers already arriving in Nepal for acclimatization, will need to wait for the giant serac to melt enough to collapse on its own. According to the Himalayan Times, teams found part of the serac collapsed on April 22, and are hoping the remainder will follow within days. Establishing the rest of the route through the Khumbu Icefall could take another three days once the obstacle becomes passable.
Cargo drones have returned to Mount Everest for a second season to aid Sherpas in transporting equipment needed to establish the route in the Khumbu Icefall. DJI FlyCart drones can carry up to 30 pounds of rope, ice screws, and ladders from base camp to teams working in the icefall. Airlift Technologies began operating on Mt. Everest between Base Camp and Camp 1 last season and will continue this year, shuttling oxygen cylinders and other supplies up the mountain and bringing trash back down. Cargo drone flights will allow more Sherpas to remain in Camps 1 and 2, significantly reducing the number of trips they must make through the Khumbu Icefall.
- Related: Polish Skier Andrzej Bargiel Shares Details About His Historic Ski Descent Of Mount Everest
Last fall, during a historic ski descent without supplemental oxygen, Polish skier Andrzej Bargiel had to navigate the Khumbu Icefall on skis. He completed his descent at the very end of the climbing season, after all fixed gear had been removed from the mountain. Bargiel was guided through the icefall by his brother, who used a drone to help scout the best descent lines.
Fixed lines, ladders, and established routes are all essential to a successful guiding season on Mount Everest. Though guided climbs and pursuits such as Fastest Known Times continue to grow in popularity, the mountain remains a wild, unpredictable, and dangerous place. While a 100-foot block of ice in the Khumbu Icefall may seem like an inconvenience, it is also a reminder that the mountain does not care how much money climbers have paid for permits or how advanced their guiding services may be. At times, no amount of route preparation or planning can overcome the natural processes continuously reshaping the mountain’s surface.
