New trail to Everest found. Climbers could avoid the dangerous Khumbu Icefall
New trail to Everest found. Climbers could avoid the dangerous Khumbu Icefall The passage through the Khumbu Icefall, the route that leads to the world’s tallest peak, is so notoriously dangerous that even experienced Sherpas hesitate to move when the sun shines. The Khumbu Icefall, a river of ice—a kilometre or so, is normally crossed during the night or early morning with climbers putting headlamps on their helmets. Normally, the route is crossed between 3am and 5am, the time when the ice blocks and the hanging glaciers are stable and avalanche risks are low. During the day, as the sun warms the mountain, the hanging glaciers begin to melt and ice starts to crumble, causing avalanche risk. On April 18, 2014, an avalanche resulting from a falling serac had buried 16 sherpa guides in the Khumbu Icefall that led to the cancellation of the season’s expeditions. The Himalayan Database has recorded 44 deaths on the Icefall from 1953 to 2016. But there is good news. Nearly seven decade...