The climbing season on Mount Everest officially started in the spring of 2026. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) announced on April 28 that the dangerous Khumbu Icefall route was now open. This was a big deal for climbers and expedition operators getting ready to climb.Mount Everest’s Spring 2026 climbing season has officially begun. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) announced the successful opening of the treacherous Khumbu Icefall route on April 28, marking a pivotal moment for climbers and expedition operators preparing for their ascent.
A team of eight “Icefall Doctors” and 16 mountain guides worked hard on the project, starting on March 16. The team was able to get to the rockfall point by April 8, but they ran into a big problem that kept getting worse: a huge, unstable serac that could have stopped their progress.
The team worked with the Department of Tourism and the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal to do thorough aerial and on-the-ground inspections. They found that there was no safer alternative route. People thought that a vertical path over the serac was way too dangerous, and they couldn’t find a safe way through the middle of the section. As a result, the team had to make the tough choice to put the route under the unstable ice formation, which is about 55 meters long, 28 meters high, and 37 meters wide.
The SPCC has given a very clear warning about this important part. The route is now open, but the ice formation is still unstable and could fall at any moment. Climbers should be very careful when they go through this area. To stay safe, you should move through the area as quickly as you can, carry as little weight as possible, and follow all safety rules when crossing the installed ladders. There are currently eight ladders in three sections, and more will be added as the crevasses get bigger during the season.
The Nepal Mountaineering Association and the Department of Tourism have thanked the team that fixed the routes for their dangerous but necessary work. The SPCC has said that they will keep an eye on the icefall all summer long to help keep all climbers safe as they try to reach the world’s highest peak.
