Everest season delayed

Mount Everest’s 2026 spring season is running late because the Khumbu Icefall route to Camp 1 is still not open as of April 23. (explorersweb.com) The bottleneck is the Khumbu Icefall, the shifting maze of seracs and crevasses above Base Camp that every south-side team for Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse must cross first. In spring 2025, that route was open by April 10; this year, two weeks later, there is still no tentative opening date. (explorersweb.com) ExplorersWeb reported on April 15 that the Icefall Doctors found a “giant, unstable serac” above the planned line and halted work because the risk to workers was too high. Outside reported on April 21 that the delay was preventing climbers from moving onto the mountain from Base Camp. (explorersweb.com) (outsideonline.com) The Icefall Doctors are the Sherpa team assigned to build the route with ladders and fixed lines through the icefall before clients can begin rotations. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee sent its 2026 team to Everest Base Camp in March, and the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal separately sent a 10-member rope-fixing team to work above Camp II. (thehimalayantimes.com 1) (thehimalayantimes.com 2) That means expedition teams are using late April for waiting, acclimatizing, and logistics instead of early summit rotations. Nepali Times reported on April 9 that spring 2026 was expected to be especially busy in Nepal because China had not issued permits for Everest from the north side. (nepalitimes.com) A drone cargo service is ready to start once the line to Camp 1 is cleared. ExplorersWeb reported on April 22 that the aircraft would move loads through the icefall after the route opens, cutting the number of risky carries Sherpas have to make on foot. (explorersweb.com) The drone push has been building for two seasons. Kathmandu Post reported in June 2025 that drones could carry loads that take Sherpas 6 to 7 hours to move in about 10 minutes, and that one flight delivered four ladders to the Icefall Doctors after they found a longer-than-expected crevasse. (kathmandupost.com) Officials and outfitters have also tied drones to cleanup and safety. A 2024 agreement among the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, and Airlift Technology set up drone use in the Khumbu, while Kathmandu Post reported that some workers worried wider drone use could reduce carrying jobs. (kathmandupost.com 1) (kathmandupost.com 2) For now, the season’s clock is set by the icefall, not by summit plans. Until the Icefall Doctors can thread a safe line through the seracs, Everest’s south side stays effectively on hold. (explorersweb.com)