KATHMANDU: With the world climbers making final preparations to head towards the summit of the world’s highest peak, the rope fixing team today left for South Col to prepare a route to the top of Mt Everest. The team has a plan to reach the top of the world by fixing ropes on May 6, according to a government official stationed at the base camp. Gyanendra Shrestha, a liaison officer from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, told THT over phone that a group of 10 trained mountain guides who already established a climbing route up to the South Col (8,000 m) were on their way to Camp IV to try to fix ropes to the summit point at 8,848 m. The trained Sherpas will fix rope to balcony at 8,650 m on May 5 and they plan to establish route to summit point the next day, Shrestha said. “If weather did not play spoilsport on their expedition bids, there would be a rush on Mt Everest once the team fixed a route to the summit,” he added. On May 8 and 9, another team will fix a climbing route to Mt Lhotse (8,516 m) to facilitate over 100 climbers to make a final summit push on the world’s fourth highest peak, according to Shrestha. Himalayan Trailblazer, International Mountain Guide, Himalaya Experience, Jagged Globe, Alpine Ascent International, Adventure Consultant and Asian Trekking jointly have taken a responsibility to fix route above Camp II. According to the Department of Tourism, at least 376 world climbers including 20 Nepalis representing five teams obtained climbing permits for Mt Everest while the Department of Tourism issued permits to 100 climbers for Mt Lhotse and 30 for Mt Nuptse in the spring season. More than 500 support staff will accompany the world climbers. With nine rope-fixing Sherpas first standing atop the mountain on May 11 last year, at least 456 climbers, including 199 foreigners from 29 countries, successfully climbed Mt Everest from Nepal side while the world’s highest mountain also recorded five deaths in the spring season in 2016.