410 Climbers Prepare for Everest Despite Serac Hazard

KATHMANDU, Nepal - Hundreds of climbers have gathered at Mount Everest base camp to attempt the world's highest peak this month, undeterred by a massive unstable serac overhanging the key trail through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, high travel costs and increased permit fees.

Around 410 climbers, supported by an equal number of Nepali guides, are preparing for the ascent to the 8,850-meter (29,000-foot) summit during the seasonal window of favorable weather. Climbers arrived at the 5,300-meter (17,340-foot) base camp last month, but progress stalled for more than two weeks due to the serac, a towering block of ice with multiple cracks that could collapse at any time.

Icefall doctors from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee completed the annual route on April 29, later than the usual mid-April timeline. They installed ropes and aluminum ladders across crevasses but routed the path below the serac, which is expected to remain in place. The committee warned expedition operators and climbers to exercise extreme caution. The Khumbu Icefall, known for its shifting glacier, deep crevasses and ice formations as large as 10-story buildings, ranks among the climb's most perilous...