KATHMANDU, APRIL 25 The Expedition Operators Association of Nepal (EOAN) and the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) are set to deploy a joint team of around 20 people, including icefall doctors and Sherpa climbers from various expeditions, to the Khumbu Icefall on Sunday morning to assess ground conditions and attempt to open or identify alternate routes through the section that has been blocking progress toward Camp I on Everest. The decision follows days of mounting pressure on expedition operators as the icefall route remains incomplete well past the point it would normally be open. In previous seasons, the route through the Khumbu Icefall was typically completed by the first week of April. This year, a hanging serac, compounded by erratic snowfall and strong winds, has prevented icefall doctors from placing ladders along a critical section just below Camp I. The joint team is scheduled to depart for the icefall at 5:00 AM on Sunday. An aerial reconnaissance conducted Saturday morning by Icefall Doctor Dawa Jangbu Sherpa and IFMGA guide Pasang Kaji Sherpa aboard a Prabhu helicopter found that at least 60 percent of the hanging serac had collapsed, but that two fragile chunks of ice remain in the section, still posing serious risk. The Tourism Times reported that Lakpa Sherpa, expedition director at 8K Expeditions, who has been named base camp coordinator by the Department of Tourism and EOAN for the joint mobilisation, said the team would not only conduct a ground reconnaissance but also attempt to open or search for alternate routes. 'Safety is our first priority, and we are closely coordinating with the SPCC for route fixing,' he was quoted as saying, adding that even if the joint team opens a route on Sunday or Monday, expedition groups would not be allowed to cross the section for a few more days until the risk is sufficiently reduced. The development comes a day after the Department of Tourism granted EOAN special authorisation, in accordance with a ministerial-level decision, to mobilise skilled manpower from its member agencies to supplement the SPCC's icefall doctors in completing the route. With the route still unopened, expedition operators are now planning to extend the climbing season until mid-June, compared to the usual closing date of May 29, to compensate for the lost time. EOAN has also requested government authorities to allow helicopters to drop logistics and summit-route-fixing Sherpas directly to Camp II, bypassing the icefall entirely. A drone has been placed on standby for the same purpose. The stakes are considerable. At least 410 foreign climbers have obtained the climbing permit for Everest alone this season, with the Department of Tourism having issued permits to 86 for Lhotse and 42 for Nuptse as well. All foreign climbers, along with their Sherpa guides, must traverse the Khumbu Icefall to reach Camp II for ascents on all three peaks. Acclimatisation rotations above base camp cannot begin until the route is open, and EOAN cannot begin fixing ropes from Camp II toward the summit thereafter. Expedition operators have repeatedly stressed that the delay is causing significant financial losses across the industry. Saturday also marked the anniversary of the 2015 earthquake, in which a massive avalanche triggered by the disaster swept through Everest Base Camp, killing 22 people in the deadliest single disaster in the mountain's history. No one headed toward the icefall section on Saturday in observance of the occasion, according to base camp reports. The Spring 2026 Icefall Doctors team is led by Ang Sarki Sherpa as chief leader and Dawa Jangbu Sherpa as team leader, operating under SPCC base camp manager Tshering Tenzing Sherpa. The team began fixing the climbing route through the Khumbu Icefall on March 16 but has been unable to complete the critical section due to the unstable serac. All eyes are now on Sunday's ground operation and whether it will finally allow Nepal's most consequential climbing season in years to get fully under way.