KATHMANDU: As the expedition operators and the world climbers are now busy with the final packing and supplying of climbing logistic to the Mt Everest region, an eight-member team of icefall doctors have started fixing a climbing route up to the Camp II from the base camp in the world’s highest peak.

Chairman Ang Dorjee Sherpa of Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which has been assigned to handle icefall doctors and garbage management in the Everest region by the government, confirmed that a team of icefall doctors deployed by SPCC have already headed up from the base camp to fix a climbing route on the most treacherous section of the Khumbu icefall.

According to Sherpa, the team will spend three months at base camp to maintain the Khumbu icefall route for climbers attempting Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse and Mt Nupste in the spring season.

The team of icefall doctors led by Ang Kami Sherpa of Chaurikharka includes Ang Kami Sherpa, 67, include Ang Sarki Sherpa, Mingma Temba Sherpa, Dawa Jangbu Sherpa, Dawa Nuru Sherpa, Pasang Tshering Sherpa, Nima Ongchu Sherpa and Ngawang Paljor Sherpa.  There are two base camp support staffs - Ngawang Thanten Sherpa and Mingma Dorjee Sherpa – along with the team, he added.

SPCC charges each foreign climber attempting to climb Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse of US$ 600 in the spring season for fixing a route up to Camp II.

Expedition Operators Association of Nepal informed that different agencies have already started dropping loads in the Khumbu region. “Base camp and support staff also left for the region.”

Last year, the department had issued 347 climbing permits representing 38 expedition teams for Mt Everest in the spring while at least 18 Nepali women climbers among 563 persons from 39 different countries had successfully reached the summit of the world’s highest peak from Nepal side.

The world’s highest peak has recorded at least 5,891 summits till date after Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first reached the summit of Mt Everest on 29 May, 1953.