Disruption at Everest: Glacier Obstruction Delays Climbing Season

Thu Apr 23 2026 18:15:48 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A significant ice blockage is hindering climbers on Everest as this year's peak season begins, creating concerns over possible traffic jams on the summit attempts.

A massive glacier blockage has obstructed the primary climbing route from Base Camp to Mount Everest, stranding climbers as peak season kicks off. The icefall doctors are currently unable to bypass the enormous 100-foot-high serac just below Camp 1. Climbers at Base Camp are anxiously waiting for the ice to melt ahead of their summit attempts, with fears that the delay could lead to overcrowding on the mountain. Authorities are exploring alternate solutions, including possible helicopter access for route-fixing teams.

A huge, unstable chunk of glacier is blocking the route up Mount Everest from Base Camp in Nepal just as peak climbing season gets underway in the Himalayas.

Icefall doctors – who fix ropes and ladders on the lower part of the route up the world's highest peak – can find no way around the 100-foot-high (30m) block of ice just under Camp 1.

They say the only option is to wait for the ice block, called a serac, to melt – which they hope will happen within days.

The delay means preparations are weeks behind schedule for the spring climbing season, when weather for Everest ascents is usually best. Concerns are rising that climbers will be queuing to reach the summit this year.

Purnima Shrestha, a prominent climber and photographer from Nepal, is currently acclimatizing to summit Everest for the sixth time. We usually climb between Camp I, Camp 2, and Camp 3 back and forth during this acclimatizing process. Delays in the opening of the route have raised concerns about possible 'traffic jams' on the peak this year, she told the BBC from Base Camp.

The icefall doctors work for the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) responsible for securing ropes up to Camp 2 on Everest, which stands 8,848.86m (29,031 feet) above sea level. They reached Base Camp three weeks ago but are still blocked by the glacier about 600m below Camp 1.

We haven't found artificial ways to melt it so far, so we don't have any options other than to wait for it melting and crumbling itself, said SPCC base camp co-ordinator Tshering Tenzing Sherpa.

Ang Sarki Sherpa, an experienced icefall doctor, is hopeful the serac will melt soon, describing the lower part as weak. The Nepalese Department of Tourism is also exploring various options, including possibly airlifting teams to Camp 2 to expedite the route preparation.

Despite the disruptions, many climbers are still expected to attempt the summit this year. According to the Department of Tourism, 367 people have thus far obtained climbing permits, most of them from China. However, China has not issued permits for foreign nationals from its territory this year.

Thus far this season, climbing fees have increased to $15,000 for foreign nationals and doubled for Nepali climbers, reflecting the tight regulation measures implemented since the viral images of climber traffic jams on Everest in 2019.