The Khumbu Icefall

Before he left, Peter mentioned that in many ways climbing Everest would be like visiting a museum: there are so many famous places on the mountain that he'd finally get to see for himself. When I asked if there was any particular spot that he was most interested in seeing, he didn't hesitate:

"The Icefall"

The Khumbu Icefall is directly above Everest Base Camp, on the way to Camp 1. It is a part of the Khumbu Glacier, the highest glacier on earth. And, like all glaciers, it is moving, as fast as 3ft (1 meter) per day. The bottom of the glacier, slowed down by friction against the mountain, moves more slowly than the top of the glacier. That combination, plus the steep pitch in the Icefall area causes the formation of deep--and shifting--crevasses.

Early in the season, "The Icefall Doctors", a team of elite Sherpas begin work securing the route through the icefall. To cross the crevasses, they set ropes and aluminum ladders. If you've watched any Everest movie, you've seen those scenes of climbers with steel crampons on their boots stepping precariously across those ladders.

This is a pretty great 3-minute clip showing what the Icefall Doctors do every year:

In the reports I've read for this year, one report said that this year only one ladder has been needed. Another report said that there are 20. Teams are now starting rotations up to camp 1 and crossing the Icefall, so I expect that will be clarified soon.

The Icefall Doctors not only set the route, ropes, and ladders at the beginning of the season, but they maintain it all season. With the shifting, new crevasses can open or seracs (ice towers) can fall. The Icefall Doctors check on and work on the Khumbu Icefall route every day.

For safety, most climbers want to pass through the Icefall (in either direction) before the sun hits it and melting can potentially cause the seracs to fall or the ladders to become less stable. 

Here's another 3-minute video that gives you a sense of what it is like to walk through the Icefall and across those ladders. Makes my palms sweat here at my kitchen table!