Everest Season Opens Late as Ice Block Threat Grows and Costs Soar for Climbers

The key route now runs beneath a dangerous serac

Despite a late start and rising expedition costs, hundreds of climbers are heading to Mount Everest. The Khumbu Icefall route, vital for reaching the upper climbs, was delayed and now cuts beneath a hazardous serac. Leaders are urging extreme caution after past deaths tied to falling ice, underscoring the objective danger as climbers push on.