Icefall doctors have opened the route to the summit for this spring season
KATHMANDU, MAY 13
As many as 470 climbers are eagerly waiting for a window to start their push to the summit of Mt Everest after a team of icefall doctors successfully opened a climbing route to the top of the world's highest peak this afternoon.
A team of climbers from Imagine Nepal Treks stood atop Mt Everest at 1:52pm, becoming the season's first to scale the tallest mountain, base camp officials told THT.
Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, managing director at Imagine Nepal Treks, said the team led by IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Association) guide Dawa Gyalje Sherpa struggled hard to reach the summit point as they fixed ropes from Camp II.
Members of the rope fixing team include Dawa Gyalje Sherpa (leader) from Rolwaling, Ngima Nuru Sherpa from Thame, Lakpa Sherpa (Lakpa Sona) from Thame, Dipen Gurung from Sankhuwasabha, Pasang Ngima Sherpa from Phortse, Lhakpa Tenjing Sherpa from Thame, Phur Galjen Sherpa from Thame, Dawa (da) Jangbu Sherpa from Thame and Suman Gurung from Gorkha (photographer), according to Imagine Nepal Treks' MD Mingma G, who coordinated the rope-fixing expedition from the base camp.
More than 470 climbers along with their support staff are waiting for a window to make summit attempts on Mt Everest after acclimatising in the Khumbu region for over a month. The climbers have also engaged in camp rotations to prepare for the summit pushes.
"Now, the climbers along with their high altitude workers can make their summit pushes on Mt Everest as the rope fixing team has opened the route," he said. Expedition Operator's Association Nepal had assigned Imagine Nepal Treks to fix the ropes on Mt Everest this season.
Base camp officials said that a small team of climbers from Nims Purja's Elite Exped has already reached high camps to make a summit push.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 14, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
