Nepali climbers open Everest route as spring summit season begins

KATHMANDU: A team of Nepali climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest on Wednesday, formally opening the climbing route for the spring season as hundreds of mountaineers prepare for summit attempts in the coming weeks.

Expedition organisers said at least 12 members of a rope-fixing team made the ascent, marking the customary start of the main spring climbing window on the world’s highest mountain.

The rope-fixing team reached the summit this morning, Chhang Dawa Sherpa of Seven Summits Treks told AFP from the base camp.

Climbers are already moving ahead, he added.

A second team, coordinated by Mingma G Sherpa of Imagine Nepal, also helped prepare the route.

Climbers are waiting to summit, so it was important to open the route on time, he said.

Route opened after disruption

The route-setting work had briefly been interrupted by a serac, or block of glacial ice, above the Khumbu icefall, one of the mountain’s most dangerous sections. The development had raised concerns about possible delays at the start of the season.

Organisers, however, established an alternative path to the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) summit, allowing preparations to move forward.

Record permits issued this season

Nepal has issued a record 492 permits for Everest this season. A large tented camp has been set up at the base of the mountain for climbers and support staff.

Because most foreign climbers attempt Everest with the assistance of at least one Nepali guide, around 1,000 climbers are expected to head towards the summit over the next few days.

The large number of climbers has again raised concerns about overcrowding, particularly if unfavourable weather shortens the available climbing window.

In 2019, congestion near the summit forced climbers to wait in line for hours in freezing temperatures. Several deaths that year were later blamed on overcrowding.

More pressure on Nepal side

China has shut the northern route to Everest from Tibet this season, shifting more expeditions to the Nepal side of the mountain.

Chinese climbers have received the highest number of permits this year, with 109, followed by Americans with 76.

Three Nepali climbers involved in Everest preparations have died so far this season, while two foreign climbers have died on other Himalayan peaks.

Nepal, which is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest mountains, depends heavily on mountaineering tourism as an important source of revenue.