A group of 11 Nepali men, mostly Sherpas, posing together and smiling in front of the blue wooden building of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) office. They wear colorful puffy down jackets—several in bright red, others in blue—with black caps featuring a logo. The front row has four men kneeling or crouching, while the back row of seven stands; one man in the front gives a thumbs-up gesture. A wooden sign above the open door reads "SAGARMATHA POLLUTION CONTROL COMMITTEE" and "SPCC" with "Open" posted below. The scene appears to be at high altitude in the Everest region, likely near Lukla or a related base.

The Most Dangerous Job on Everest Begins Again

Anano Atabegashvili | March 5, 2026
Himalaya, 8000m, News
A group of 11 Nepali men, mostly Sherpas, posing together and smiling in front of the blue wooden building of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) office. They wear colorful puffy down jackets—several in bright red, others in blue—with black caps featuring a logo. The front row has four men kneeling or crouching, while the back row of seven stands; one man in the front gives a thumbs-up gesture. A wooden sign above the open door reads "SAGARMATHA POLLUTION CONTROL COMMITTEE" and "SPCC" with "Open" posted below. The scene appears to be at high altitude in the Everest region, likely near Lukla or a related base.

The 2026 Cascade Doctors team, Photo: SPCC

The spring climbing season on Mount Everest has quietly begun – not with climbers heading for the summit, but with the arrival of the legendary Icefall Doctors.

Every year, a small team of highly experienced Sherpas travels to Everest Base Camp weeks before most expeditions arrive. Their task is one of the most dangerous jobs in Himalayan mountaineering: opening the route through the shifting maze of the Khumbu Icefall.

This chaotic glacier sits directly above Base Camp and forms the first major obstacle on the standard south route of Everest. Massive seracs, deep crevasses, and constantly moving ice make it one of the most hazardous sections of the entire climb.

Building the path to Camp II

The Icefall Doctors work for the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee and are responsible for establishing and maintaining the route from Base Camp to Camp II in the Western Cwm. 

Before climbers begin their acclimatization rotations, the team must scout the safest path through the glacier. They install hundreds of meters of fixed rope, drill anchors into the ice, and place aluminum ladders across deep crevasses to allow climbers to cross safely. 

This work takes weeks and must be repeated every season because the Khumbu Glacier is constantly moving. Ladders shift, crevasses open, and entire sections of the route can collapse overnight.

A dangerous job few climbers see

The Icefall Doctors will spend the next three months maintaining the route as hundreds of climbers pass through the Icefall on their way to Everest, as well as neighboring peaks like Lhotse and Nuptse. 

They typically cross the Icefall dozens of times each season, repairing ladders and ropes damaged by the constantly shifting glacier.

Without their work, the commercial Everest season would simply not be possible.

Majestic Mount Everest through Vibrant Prayer Flags

The quiet start of a massive season

While summit attempts will not begin until May, the arrival of the Icefall Doctors marks the true beginning of the Everest climbing season.

In the coming weeks, expedition teams from around the world will begin trekking toward Base Camp, preparing for acclimatization climbs through the Icefall – along the route first carved each spring by the Sherpas who make Everest accessible to the rest of the climbing world.

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.

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