Everest route prepped
Nepal’s famed ‘Icefall Doctors’ have finished fixing the Everest route for the spring climbing season, clearing a path for hundreds of international climbers as temperatures rise and winds calm. The update confirms standard route preparations are complete ahead of peak summit attempts this spring (channelstv.com).
Nepal’s Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) dispatched an eight‑member Icefall Doctors team this season, SPCC chair Lama Kazi Sherpa confirmed to AFP. (time.i.ng) The unit on this deployment is led by veteran Ang Sarki Sherpa, with expedition rosters this year naming team members including Dawa Nuru Sherpa, Pemba Tshering Sherpa, Ngima Tenzi Sherpa, Nawang Chhimi Sherpa, Dawa Chhiri Sherpa, Dawa Zangbu Sherpa and Mingma Gyalzen Sherpa. (everestchronicle.com) The Icefall Doctors departed from Namche Bazaar on March 1 and completed refresher training at Everest Base Camp with instructors from the Khumbu Climbing Center between March 5 and March 10. (summitpost.org) Before beginning route work the team performed a traditional puja (sacred ceremony) at base camp to seek blessings, an annual ritual reported by AFP as the crew started ladder and rope installations. (time.i.ng) Authorities tightened expedition rules ahead of this season: Nepal raised the Everest spring permit fee to USD 15,000 (effective from the 2025/26 changes) and mandated new waste‑management measures such as bringing back at least 2 kg of refuse to Camp 2 and compulsory "poo bags." (kathmandupost.com) SPCC’s seasonal deployment typically includes support staff tasked with removing human waste and garbage from the Khumbu area—previous SPCC mobilizations involved roughly 27 personnel overall, with eight Icefall Doctors focused on route setting and the remainder on waste carriage. (risingnepaldaily.com)
