{"id":49106,"date":"2026-03-01T12:52:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T19:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=49106"},"modified":"2026-03-01T12:54:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T19:54:59","slug":"everest-2026-icefall-doctors-launched","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/01\/everest-2026-icefall-doctors-launched\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2026: Icefall Doctors Launched"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The backbone of every Everest season on the Nepali side are the Icefall Doctors, a team of highly skilled Sherpas who establish the climbing route and set the thin nylon safety rope from Base Camp to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm.<\/p>\n<p>Today, they left Namache Bazaar for EBC, where they will receive refresher training under the watchful eyes of the Kuhumbu Climbing Center teachers. Next, they will use drones to scout the route and, around March 16, begin the laborious task of setting ice screws, pickets, v-threads, and other techniques to attach the rope to the moving ice. And of course, there are the ladders that are hauled to deep, open crevasses, thus providing passage for the thousands of trips through the Icefall this season.<\/p>\n<p>For spring <strong data-start=\"716\" data-end=\"724\">2026<\/strong>, I expect <strong data-start=\"735\" data-end=\"790\">900 to 1,000 total summits from both sides combined<\/strong>, exceeding the previous high-water mark set in <strong data-start=\"838\" data-end=\"846\">2019<\/strong>, when <strong data-start=\"853\" data-end=\"869\">877 climbers<\/strong> summited (661 from Nepal, 216 from Tibet. A realistic breakdown for 2026 would include <strong data-start=\"949\" data-end=\"991\">at least 225 summits on the Tibet side<\/strong> (members and hired combined) and <strong data-start=\"1025\" data-end=\"1053\">well over 800 from Nepal<\/strong>, compared to <strong data-start=\"1067\" data-end=\"1112\">731 from Nepal and 120 from Tibet in 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the Podcast, I introduce the season and review some of my background posts on costs, total summits and deaths, route figures, and more.<\/p>\n<h2>The Docs<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SPCCNepal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee<\/a> released information on the Icefall Doctors. With the arrival of spring, preparations are underway for the 2026 Mt. Everest climbing season. Today, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC)\u2019s Icefall Doctors departed from our head office in Namche Bazaar and are en route to Everest Base Camp.<\/p>\n<p>\nFrom March 5 to March 10, the team will participate in refresher training at Everest Base Camp conducted by instructors from the Khumbu Climbing Center (KCC). A traditional puja ceremony will be held on March 16, after which the team will officially begin setting up a route through the Khumbu Icefall. Over the next three months, the Icefall Doctors will be stationed at SPCC\u2019s Everest Base Camp office to set up and maintain the Khumbu Icefall route, ensuring safe passage for mountaineers attempting Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Nuptse.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe Spring 2026 Icefall Doctors Team includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"auto\">Base Camp Manager: Tshering Tenzing Sherpa<\/li>\n<li dir=\"auto\">Icefall Doctors: Ang Sarki Sherpa (Chief Leader), Dawa Jangbu Sherpa (Team Leader), Tendu Sherpa, Ngima Tenji Sherpa, Phura Chheten Sherpa, Dawa Chhirri Sherpa, Sonam Geljen Sherpa, and Mingma Gyaljen Sherpa (pictured)<\/li>\n<li dir=\"auto\">Kitchen Staff: Wangdi Gyalbu Sherpa and Ngawang Thanten Sherpa<\/li>\n<li dir=\"auto\">Assistant: Tshering Thendu Sherpa<\/li>\n<li dir=\"auto\">Garbage Management Staff: Yubraj Baniya<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How Many Ladders and When?<\/h2>\n<p>History shows that the Docs usually get the route set between April 2<sup>nd<\/sup> and 16<sup>th:<\/sup><\/p>\n<table class=\" aligncenter\" style=\"width: 40%; border-collapse: collapse;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #cfc8c8;\">\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%; text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%; text-align: center;\"><strong>Icefall In<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%; text-align: center;\"><strong># Ladders<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2009<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 14<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">\u00a017<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2010<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 16<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2011<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 11<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2012<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 4<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2013<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 5<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2014<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 5<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2015<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 4<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">\u00a022<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2016<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 9<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">\u00a023<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2017<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 2<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">\u00a021<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2018<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 4<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">\u00a020<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2019<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 5<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">\u00a020<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2020<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">Closed<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">\u00a0Closed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2021<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 3<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2022<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 7<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2023<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 5<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2024<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 16<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2025<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">April 10<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">~21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1.212121%;\">2026<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">?<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 1.010101%;\">?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Of course the finding a safe route is the first order of business. As this picture shows, the route has varied over the years due to the movement of the Icefall, serac releases off Purmori, and serac releases off Everest&#8217;s West Shoulder. The Docs try to find the fastest route with the least exposure, and at times change it mid-season for safety reasons.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_29222\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29222\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/14\/everest-2018-final-preparations-and-more-rules\/khumbu-icefall-routes\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-29222\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29222\" src=\"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Khumbu-Icefall-routes-640x360.jpg\" alt=\"Khumbu Icefall routes\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Khumbu-Icefall-routes-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Khumbu-Icefall-routes-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-29222\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Khumbu Icefall routes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The First Icefall Climbs<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13299\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13299\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/crossing-crevasse_10752_600x4501.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13299\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/crossing-crevasse_10752_600x4501-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Early Everest Crevasse Crossing\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/crossing-crevasse_10752_600x4501-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/crossing-crevasse_10752_600x4501-225x169.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/crossing-crevasse_10752_600x4501-169x126.jpg 169w, https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/crossing-crevasse_10752_600x4501.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13299\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Early Everest Crevasse Crossing. Courtesy of National Geographic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>George Mallory, while seeking a route to climb to the summit of Everest, is said to have sighted the Icefall in the early 1920s and said it was &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=Td0rVmVnkR8C&amp;pg=PT49&amp;lpg=PT49&amp;dq=terribly+steep+and+broken+george+mallory&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=SYBw3DVWEU&amp;sig=tGcuWRnMqpxDyxCAGom55ntaKJk&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=aCrkVLvfOonXggSG1ICYAQ&amp;ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&amp;q=terribly%20steep%20and%20broken%20george%20mallory&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">terribly steep and broken &#8230;\u00a0all in all the approach to the mountain from Tibet is easier<\/a>, &#8221; thus\u00a0shifting his efforts to Tibet.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn&#8217;t until 1950 when Charlie Houston\u00a0and\u00a0Bill Tilman led a British reconnaissance team to scout a possible route from Nepal that the Khumbu Icefall was considered feasible.<\/p>\n<p>In 1951, another British team led by Eric Shipton climbed through the Icefall but stopped just short of the top due to a wide crevasse. To cross the crevasses, the early expeditions used long tree trunks brought up from the treeline after they ran out of ladders.<\/p>\n<p>A 1952 Swiss team overcame that\u00a0obstacle by climbing into the crevasse and crossing a dangerous snow bridge. They reached 8500 meters using today&#8217;s Southeast Ridge route but failed to summit. Of course, John Hunt&#8217;s 1953\u00a0British expedition made the first summit using that same route.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40218\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40218\" style=\"width: 169px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kathmandupost.com\/national\/2021\/12\/03\/new-trail-to-everest-has-been-discovered-climbers-can-avoid-treacherous-khumbu-icefall\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-40218 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Part-of-the-Icefall-Bypass-on-Nuptse.-Courtesy-of-marc-Batard-169x225.jpg\" alt=\"Part of the Icefall Bypass on Nuptse. Courtesy of marc Batard\" width=\"169\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Part-of-the-Icefall-Bypass-on-Nuptse.-Courtesy-of-marc-Batard-169x225.jpg 169w, https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Part-of-the-Icefall-Bypass-on-Nuptse.-Courtesy-of-marc-Batard-360x480.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Part-of-the-Icefall-Bypass-on-Nuptse.-Courtesy-of-marc-Batard-230x307.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Part-of-the-Icefall-Bypass-on-Nuptse.-Courtesy-of-marc-Batard-350x467.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Part-of-the-Icefall-Bypass-on-Nuptse.-Courtesy-of-marc-Batard-480x640.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Part-of-the-Icefall-Bypass-on-Nuptse.-Courtesy-of-marc-Batard.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-40218\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Part of the Icefall Bypass on Nuptse. Courtesy of Marc Batard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Icefall Bypass?<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">70-year-old French alpinist Marc Batard, twice in 2021 and 2022, attempted to establish a route to bypass the Khumbu Icefall by climbing on the flanks of Nuptse with a team of four French climbers and two Sherpas. He&#8217;s currently raising money for another attempt in 2026. He hopes to finish the route through what he calls &#8220;the traverse&#8221; to the Western Cwm and Camp 1 this spring.<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Nuptse is the southern wall above the Icefall. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Nuptse alternative was established by Russian climbers Chochia and Shamalo in 2011, and the Soviet climber Bozhukov had proposed it several years earlier. See this excellent <a href=\"https:\/\/risk.ru\/blog\/198626\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blog<\/a> post for details and images.\u00a0In 2013, Russians Urubko and Bolotov attempted to repeat it, but the attempt ended with the death of Bolotov when a rope broke while he was rappelling off the ridge and into the Western Cwm. This is another great <a href=\"https:\/\/risk.ru\/blog\/198607\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blog<\/a> post with details and images.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Benegas Brothers advocated for this for many years, but could never make it a reality due to the objective dangers and climbing difficulty.<\/span>\u00a0<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I believe the hope of climbing Nuptse&#8217;s flanks to bypass the Icefall is over, as the route is too difficult to be used commercially.<\/span> \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So, is an alternative route to the Icefall a good idea? Yes, while not the most dangerous section, it is dangerous and carries a constant risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so your safety is somewhat out of your control. Is the Nuptse alternative the best one? Well, it may be the only viable option. Of course, climbers could climb the highly technical Lho La Pass to gain the West Ridge before attempting the harrowing Hornbein Couloir. But even then, most climbers would still return to EBC via the Khumbu Icefall. Note that no guide offers this as a commercial Everest route.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>See this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/25\/everest-2026-khumbu-icefall-bypass-real-or-a-dream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2026 post<\/a> I made discussing this option in detail<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s to a safe season for everyone on the Big Hill.<\/p>\n<p>Climb On!<br \/>\nAlan<br \/>\nMemories are Everything<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<h2 align=\"left\">Himalayan Database<\/h2>\n<p align=\"left\">I use the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.himalayandatabase.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Himalayan Database<\/a> as my primary source of Everest summit statistics. If you are climbing in 2026, they are asking you to fill in an electronic web-based survey. This replaces the time-consuming process of visiting each team in their hotel before the climb. \u00a0Please use this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.com\/r\/Himalayandata\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">link<\/a> to complete the survey. You can now download the HDB for free at their site.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"jetpack_subscription_widget\"><h2 class=\"widgettitle\">Subscribe to Blog via Email<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-subscriptions__container\">\n\t\t\t<form action=\"#\" method=\"post\" accept-charset=\"utf-8\" id=\"subscribe-blog-1\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-blog=\"85299718\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-post_access_level=\"everybody\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"subscribe-text\"><p>Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p id=\"subscribe-email\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<label id=\"jetpack-subscribe-label\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"screen-reader-text\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfor=\"subscribe-field-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail Address\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" autocomplete=\"email\" required=\"required\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvalue=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"subscribe-field-1\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplaceholder=\"Email Address\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<p id=\"subscribe-submit\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"action\" value=\"subscribe\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"source\" value=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49106\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"sub-type\" value=\"widget\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"redirect_fragment\" value=\"subscribe-blog-1\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" id=\"_wpnonce\" name=\"_wpnonce\" value=\"618f1cec74\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49106\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"submit\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"wp-block-button__link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"margin: 0; margin-left: 0px;\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tname=\"jetpack_subscriptions_widget\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">An email notification is sent to everyone on the mailing list for each new post. If you&#8217;d like to see something special this year, please post a comment or send me an <a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/core\/contact.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">email<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">The Podcast on alanarnette.com<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Here&#8217;s the <strong>Podcast<\/strong> of the Weekend Update<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><div id=\"kgvid_kgvid_0_wrapper\" class=\"kgvid_wrapper kgvid_wrapper_auto_left kgvid_wrapper_auto_right\">\n\t\t\t<div id=\"video_kgvid_0_div\" class=\"fitvidsignore kgvid_videodiv\" data-id=\"kgvid_0\" data-kgvid_video_vars=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;kgvid_0&quot;,&quot;attachment_id&quot;:&quot;49117&quot;,&quot;player_type&quot;:&quot;Video.js v8&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:&quot;360&quot;,&quot;fullwidth&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;fixed_aspect&quot;:&quot;vertical&quot;,&quot;countable&quot;:true,&quot;count_views&quot;:&quot;start_complete&quot;,&quot;start&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:&quot;false&quot;,&quot;pauseothervideos&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;set_volume&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;muted&quot;:&quot;false&quot;,&quot;meta&quot;:true,&quot;endofvideooverlay&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.alanarnette.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/summitcoach-e1483568572550.jpg&quot;,&quot;resize&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;auto_res&quot;:&quot;automatic&quot;,&quot;pixel_ratio&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;right_click&quot;:false,&quot;playback_rate&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Everest 2026: March 1 Weekend Update&quot;,&quot;skip_buttons&quot;:[],&quot;nativecontrolsfortouch&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;locale&quot;:&quot;en&quot;,&quot;enable_resolutions_plugin&quot;:false}\" itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/11083895_10152780358862473_5947786120011228699_n.jpg\"><meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Everest-2026-March-1-Weekend-Update-.mp4\"><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Everest-2026-March-1-Weekend-Update-.mp4\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Everest 2026: March 1 Weekend Update\"><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Everest 2026: March 1 Weekend Update\"><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2026-03-01T12:48:33-07:00\">\n\t\t\t\t<video id=\"video_kgvid_0\" playsinline controls preload=\"metadata\" poster=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/11083895_10152780358862473_5947786120011228699_n.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"fitvidsignore video-js kg-video-js-skin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<source src=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Everest-2026-March-1-Weekend-Update-.mp4?id=0\" type=\"video\/mp4\" data-res=\"720p\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/video>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"kgvid_below_video\" id=\"video_kgvid_0_below\"><div class=\"kgvid-viewcount\" id=\"video_kgvid_0_viewcount\">27 views<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t<div style=\"display:none\" id=\"video_kgvid_0_meta\" class=\"kgvid_video_meta kgvid_video_meta_hover \">\n\t\t\t\t<span class='kgvid_meta_icons'><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='video_kgvid_0_title' class='kgvid_title'>Everest 2026: March 1 Weekend Update<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/h2>\n<p>You can listen to #everest2026 <strong>podcasts<\/strong>\u00a0on <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2uu2RcE9WiFKzSGl50oFKY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-podcast-on-alanarnette-com\/id1567287947\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breaker.audio\/the-podcast-on-alanarnette-dot-com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Breaker<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pca.st\/otq8ztfv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pocket Casts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/anchor.fm\/alan-arnette1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Anchor<\/a>, and more. Just search for &#8220;alan arnette&#8221; on your favorite podcast platform.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Previous Everest 2026 Season Coverage Posts<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2026\/01\/13\/everest-2026-welcome-to-everest-2026-coverage\/\">Welcome to Everest 2026 Coverage &#8211; An overview of what to expect during the Spring 2026 climbing season<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/23\/everest-2026-rumor-fire-season\/\">Everest 2026: Rumor Fire Season<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Everest 2026: Icefall Doctors Launched<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2026\/01\/26\/everest-by-the-numbers-2026-edition\/\">Everest by the Numbers: 2026 Edition &#8211; A deep dive into Everest statistics as compiled by the Himalayan Database<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2026\/01\/28\/comparing-the-routes-of-everest-2026-edition\/\">Comparing the Routes of Everest: 2026 Edition &#8211; A detailed look at Everest&#8217;s routes, commercial, standard, and non-standard<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/03\/how-much-does-it-cost-to-climb-everest-2026-edition\/\">How Much Does it Cost to Climb Everest: 2026 Edition &#8211; My annual analysis of Everest climbing costs, from solo and unsupported to fully guided<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The backbone of every Everest season on the Nepali side are the Icefall Doctors, a team of highly skilled Sherpas who establish the climbing route and set the thin nylon safety rope from Base Camp to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm.<\/p>\n<p>Today, they left Namache Bazaar for EBC, where they will receive refresher training under the watchful eyes of the Kuhumbu Climbing Center teachers. Next, they will use drones to scout the route and, around March 16, begin the laborious task of setting ice screws, pickets, v-threads, and other techniques to attach the rope to the moving ice. And of course, there are the ladders that are hauled to deep, open crevasses, thus providing passage for the thousands of trips through the Icefall this season. <\/p>\n<p>In the Podcast, I introduce the season and review some of my background posts on costs, total summits and deaths, route figures, and more. #everest2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":49107,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[7,147,828,81,216],"tags":[432,448,829,439,595],"class_list":["post-49106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climbing-news","category-everest","category-everest-2026-coverage","category-everest-news","category-everest-popular-posts","tag-climbing-news","tag-everest","tag-everest-2026-coverage","tag-everest-news","tag-everest-popular-posts"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-Icefall-Doctors.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}