KATHMANDU: Following a delay in opening a route along the Khumbu Icefall, the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal (EOAN) and the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) today agreed to mobilise a joint team to the icefall section on Sunday.

Tshering Tenzing Sherpa, base camp manager at the SPCC, said that a meeting with EOAN representatives today decided to mobilise icefall doctors and Sherpa climbers from different expeditions to understand the real ground situation of the icefall section.

An aerial recce was also conducted this morning involving Icefall Doctor Dawa Jangbu Sherpa and IFMGA guide Pasang Kaji (PK) Sherpa. “At least 60 percent of the hanging serac has collapsed, but the section still has two fragile chunks of ice,” Sherpas who flew on a Prabhu helicopter said after returning to base camp.

“On Sunday, some 20 people including icefall doctors will visit the dangerous section of the Khumbu Icefall. They will not only conduct a ground recce but also attempt to open or search for alternate routes there,” Lakpa Sherpa, expedition director at 8K Expeditions, informed. The Department of Tourism and EOAN have named Lakpa as base camp coordinator for mobilising the joint team to the Khumbu Icefall.

“Safety is our first priority, and we are closely coordinating with the SPCC for route fixing,” Lakpa said. The joint team, which will leave for the icefall section at 5 am, is tasked with closely monitoring the situation and finding possible solutions, he added.

Hanging seracs are posing a serious risk, restricting icefall doctors from proceeding to open a climbing route towards Camp I.

Citing the delay in route opening, expedition operators said they plan to extend the climbing period until mid‑June; in the past, the season usually closed on May 29.

“We have already requested the government authorities to allow helicopters to drop logistics and summit‑route‑fixing Sherpas to Camp II,” Lakpa informed. A DJI drone has also been put on standby to drop logistics to Camp II from base camp.

Watch Here: DJI 3D view of icefall route

“If the joint team opens a route tomorrow or day after, expedition groups will not be allowed to cross the section for a few days until the risk is minimised,” according to Lakpa.

At least 410 foreign climbers have already reached base camp to attempt Everest this season. The DoT has also issued climbing permits to 86 foreign climbers for Lhotse and 42 for Mt. Nuptse. All foreign climbers, along with Sherpa climbers and guides, must cross the treacherous icefall section to reach Camp II for Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse ascents.

“Today, no one headed towards the icefall section, mourning the deaths of Sherpa climbers who died in the 2015 earthquake,” Lakpa informed.