Mount Everest Season Opens Late as Climbers Brave Dangerous Icefall

The 2026 climbing season on Mount Everest has begun later than usual after a massive unstable ice block suspended above the main trail delayed route preparations and heightened fears over climber safety on the world’s highest peak.

Despite the risks, rising expedition costs and higher permit fees, around 410 climbers and a similar number of Nepali guides are preparing for summit attempts during the short May weather window. Nepal has already issued about 410 Everest permits this season, each costing roughly USD 15,000.

The delay was caused by a giant cracked serac hanging over the dangerous Khumbu Icefall , one of Everest’s deadliest sections. The elite “icefall doctors” appointed by Nepal’s Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee managed to open the route only on April 29, nearly eight days behind schedule, after carefully carving an alternative passage beneath the unstable ice.

Expedition operators warned that the hanging ice could collapse at any time. Teams are now crossing the Icefall only during early morning hours when colder temperatures make the glacier more stable. Veteran guide Lukas Furtenbach said the route is more exposed than in previous years, forcing climbers to minimise time spent in hazardous zones.

The delayed opening has also raised fears of a dangerous summit bottleneck later this month as expeditions rush acclimatisation rotations through Camps 1 and 2 before the prime summit window closes. Some climbers and Sherpas have already reported minor injuries in the Icefall area.

Scientists and mountaineers say rapidly melting Himalayan glaciers linked to climate change are increasing instability on Everest. A similar serac collapse in 2014 triggered an avalanche that killed 16 Nepali guides.

China has largely kept the Tibet-side route closed to foreign climbers this year, concentrating almost all expeditions on Nepal’s southern route and adding to congestion concerns. Nepal has also tightened rules for 2026, requiring climbers to have previously summited a Nepali peak above 7,000 metres before attempting Everest.