KATHMANDU: Expedition Operators Association Nepal (EOAN) has said that it is closely monitoring the situation on Mt Everest and expediting its consultations with the concerned stakeholders to find amicable solutions to the existing problem, according to EOAN General Secretary Rishi Ram Bhandari.

EOAN’s reaction comes after a joint team of mountain guides and icefall doctors from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee visited the Khumbu Icefall section this morning and found that route‑fixing is possible only after the hanging ice block collapses.

“EOAN is fully aware of the situation in the Everest region and urges all to be optimistic,” Bhandari said. A coordination committee led by the Director General of the Department of Tourism, including the chiefs of EoAN, the Nepal Mountaineering Association and the SPCC, would continue its consultations to find possible alternative solutions to the current problems, he added.

EoAN is committed to ensuring safe and smooth climbing on Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse and Mt Nuptse this spring season, Bhandari said, adding that possible options would be explored soon.

“A safer climbing season is our topmost priority, and EOAN is ready to cooperate with all,” Bhandari said. As the hanging serac has obstructed icefall doctors from placing ladders along a treacherous section of the climbing route just below Camp II on Mt Everest, EOAN’s team of mountain guides has also joined them to find a way out, according to Bhandari.

As hundreds of climbers are waiting at Everest base camp, EOAN’s responsibility is to inform and convince them about the current situation. “Working hand in hand with the icefall doctors also sends a positive message to all climbing enthusiasts,” the EOAN general secretary shared.

EOAN’s team at base camp will discuss the further plan, and it will also expedite consultations with the government and other stakeholders to find a proper way out for facilitation, he added.

EOAN also said it hoped the hanging serac would collapse soon and that rope‑fixing would resume thereafter. “Ferrying logistics and rope‑fixing by Sherpa climbers to the high camp, as well as an extension of the climbing period, are also being discussed, as the delay in route‑fixing could result in congestion during the peak season,” Bhandari said, appealing to all to maintain patience and continue their acclimatisation activities in the Everest region.