Three mountaineers trek across the snowy Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest's route in Nepal. Two climbers in the foreground carry a long aluminum ladder horizontally on their shoulders, while a third ahead wears a large backpack. They move carefully over the uneven, snow-covered glacier terrain with towering seracs, massive ice walls, and a sharp, rocky peak rising dramatically in the background under a deep blue sky with scattered clouds.

First Into the Icefall: Everest Season Begins

Anano Atabegashvili | March 17, 2026
Himalaya, 8000m, News
Three mountaineers trek across the snowy Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest's route in Nepal. Two climbers in the foreground carry a long aluminum ladder horizontally on their shoulders, while a third ahead wears a large backpack. They move carefully over the uneven, snow-covered glacier terrain with towering seracs, massive ice walls, and a sharp, rocky peak rising dramatically in the background under a deep blue sky with scattered clouds.

PC: File Photo: Abiral Rai

The first real movement of the Everest spring climbing season has begun – not with climbers heading for the summit, but with the Sherpa specialists known as the Icefall Doctors entering the chaotic maze of the Khumbu Icefall.

According to recent reports, the team has started work to open the climbing route through the icefall, a crucial step that allows expeditions to move from Everest Base Camp toward the upper mountain. Their work marks the earliest operational stage of the spring expedition season on Mount Everest.

The Khumbu Icefall forms a chaotic glacier between Base Camp and Camp I on Everest’s South Col route. Massive ice blocks, deep crevasses, and constantly shifting glacial movement make it one of the most dangerous sections of the climb. 

Because the glacier moves daily, the climbing route must be rebuilt every season. The Icefall Doctors search for the safest path through the icefall and install ladders over crevasses while fixing ropes across unstable sections of ice.

The Icefall Doctors are a specialized group of experienced Sherpa climbers working under the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which oversees environmental and logistical management on Everest.


Their task is to create and maintain a route through the glacier from Base Camp up to Camp II in the Western Cwm – the gateway to the upper slopes of Everest. 

Each spring, the team spends weeks navigating the shifting icefall, hauling ladders, ropes, and anchors across the glacier to build what becomes the main pathway for hundreds of climbers attempting Everest, as well as nearby peaks such as Lhotse and Nuptse.

While Everest expeditions typically aim for summit pushes in May, the work of the Icefall Doctors begins weeks earlier. Their job is often described as one of the most dangerous on the mountain, as they must repeatedly cross unstable terrain beneath towering ice seracs and hidden crevasses.


Without the route they establish through the Khumbu Icefall, the standard south route to Everest would simply not be accessible.

In many ways, the Everest climbing season truly begins not with summit attempts – but with these Sherpas stepping first into the shifting glacier to open the path for everyone who follows.

Majestic Mount Everest through Vibrant Prayer Flags

Anano Atabegashvili

About Anano Atabegashvili

Anano Atabegashvili is a journalist with over 7 years of experience in broadcasting and online media. She combines her two greatest passions - writing and mountains - through in-depth reporting on the world of high-altitude exploration. Though not a climber herself, she has covered remote stories, interviewed leading alpinists, and built a unique voice in expedition journalism. As the author of the Summiters Club blog, Anano delivers timely, insightful coverage of climbs, challenges, and the evolving culture of alpinism - with a journalist’s precision and a deep admiration for the mountain world.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *