Glacial block stalls Everest push as base camp braces for crowds

Hundreds of Everest hopefuls are waiting at base camp (over 5,300 meters up) as a massive serac blocks the Khumbu Icefall, delaying the standard route to the summit. Icefall doctors are using drones and 3D imagery to map and time the ice’s collapse, while climbers train and brace for potential overcrowding when the route finally opens. The risk is heightened by past deadly serac collapses and a warming climate, prompting Nepal to tighten permits and experience requirements as expeditions plan rotations around a favorable weather window and the final summit push.