Glacier Chunk Blocks Mount Everest Climbing Route During Peak Season
A massive chunk of unstable glacier ice is blocking the main climbing route up Mount Everest from Base Camp in Nepal. The ice block is preventing Sherpas from preparing the path for climbers during peak climbing season in the Himalayas.
A huge, unstable piece of glacier has blocked the standard climbing route up Mount Everest from Base Camp in Nepal, creating a major problem just as the busy spring climbing season begins.
Sherpas who normally prepare the route for paying climbers cannot get past the massive ice block. The obstruction is in the Khumbu Icefall area, which is already known as the deadliest part of the Everest climb.
The Khumbu Icefall is a constantly shifting maze of ice blocks that crack and move overnight. Climbers must cross this dangerous section to reach the higher camps on their way to Everest's summit.
Climbers like Purnima Shrestha are among those affected by the blockage. Spring is the main climbing season for Everest, when hundreds of people attempt to reach the world's highest peak.
The ice blocks in this area shift and reset daily, making the passage extremely unpredictable and dangerous for both Sherpas and climbers.
This could ruin climbing plans for hundreds of people who paid tens of thousands of dollars to climb Everest this spring. It also puts Sherpas at risk as they try to find ways around the dangerous ice block in the deadly Khumbu Icefall area.
Sherpas will need to find an alternate route around the ice block or wait for it to shift naturally before climbing season can proceed normally.
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