Did you know that as many as 425 climbers hold permits to climb Mount Everest this year? However, many may not reach the summit.
A massive wall of ice has trapped hundreds of climbers at Base Camp and raised fears of a deadly rush once the route reopens.
In an Instagram post, 23-year-old climber Xavier Ladouceur said the path through the Khumbu Icefall remains blocked by millions of tonnes of ice — a treacherous, constantly shifting section that has caused numerous fatalities over the years.
“Everest 2026 is not going as planned. The Khumbu Icefall, the most dangerous section of the mountain, is still closed. A massive serac is blocking the route. No one can climb. No one can rotate,” Ladouceur wrote.
“Hundreds of climbers are stuck at Base Camp. Watching the clock tick toward the summit window. If it opens late, this could become one of the most dangerous seasons in history. Because when it finally opens. Everyone will go at once. And that’s when Everest becomes deadly,” he added, calling the situation “not just a climb anymore. It’s a race against time.”
Netizens reacted angrily. “Maybe mountains just exist and not to be climbed,” one user wrote. Another commented, “I’m sorry but I believe the desecration of this sacred mountain should stop. Dead bodies, human waste, discarded oxygen tanks and more have turned a magnificent natural wonder into a symbol of human hubris.” A third said, “Climbing Everest is not the flex it used to be and it’s not appropriate to have queues of people on it. It’s mental. It’s not a Disney ride.”
