A large chunk of glacial ice, or serac, sitting above Everest’s Base Camp is blocking the South Col route and shrinking the already brief summit window during the busy spring season.
Nepal’s tourism authorities have issued 410 climbing permits this year, with mountaineering a key revenue source for the country that hosts eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks. Many teams already gathered in the region depend on a clear passage through the Khumbu Icefall to move higher.
Specialist rope-fixing teams known as “icefall doctors,” who prepare ladders, ropes and safer lines through the shifting ice for less-experienced climbers, began route work last month. But a large serac at more than 5,300 meters — a towering, unstable block of ice above the Khumbu Icefall — now threatens the route. Authorities say it could collapse without warning and trigger a deadly avalanche.
“This is not something you can fix or move,” said Himal Gautam, spokesperson for Nepal’s Department of Tourism. “It’s natural. We can only wait and assess.” Icefall doctor Dawa Jangbu Sherpa told AFP the team expects the serac to clear in a few days.
Officials said experts will continuously monitor the formation and “devise an alternative plan if needed.” Possible contingency measures under consideration include helicopter drops of supplies so route-preparation work can continue on schedule if access remains restricted.
Meanwhile, roughly 1,000 people — foreign climbers and support staff — have set up a remote tent village at safer altitudes as teams wait for a summit window. The spring season, typically the busiest and warmer than autumn, runs from March through May: March and April are used for acclimatization and base camp setup, with most summit attempts in May. The monsoon makes summer climbing largely unsafe despite milder lower-elevation temperatures.
The 410 permits issued this season approach last year’s record of 479 and reflect how climbing has become a major local industry since Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary’s first confirmed ascent in 1953. But larger numbers have contributed to crowded routes, “traffic jams” on narrow ridgelines, and visible signs of overcrowding such as litter. A shortened window for summit efforts could intensify those risks.
Caution around seracs is underscored by past tragedy: in 2014 a section of the same glacier collapsed, killing 16 Nepali guides in one of Everest’s deadliest accidents. Authorities say careful monitoring and flexible plans are essential while teams wait to see if the unstable ice stabilizes or clears.