Sherpas in Nepal refuse to rebuild the Mount Everest route that was destroyed by an earthquake-triggered avalanche more than one week ago - which will most likely end this year's climbing season.
According to Fox News, Gyanendra Shrestha, an official at Nepal's Mountaineering Department, said that the sherpas informed the department on Monday that they were not going to rebuild the route because of safety and time reasons.
Mountaineering teams have until the end of the month to climb the peak, but if the route is not fixed, it will be impossible for them to make their climbs. The Sherpas have the vital role of transporting the ladders, ropes and equipment that are necessary to clear the trail.
Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee's Kapindra Rai said that the area is too dangerous and not much time is left in the season before it gets warmer, and melting ice and monsoon rains bring bad conditions. "It is just not possible to rebuild the route in time for climbers to attempt to scale the peak," he said. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee controls the Icefall Doctors - the team of Sherpas who prepare the route.
On the other hand, Reuters reports that Nepal's tourism department stated that Mount Everest remains open to climbers. Nepal's tourism department Tulsi Prasad Gautam said that "the government will not officially announce the closure because we have given the permit to climbers."
"The route is still damaged and the climbers at the base camp don't think the route will be fixed anytime soon. It's up to the climbers and the organizers who are at the base camp to take a decision: we are not asking them to do one thing or another," Gautam further said.
To climb Everest, climbers pay an amount of $11,000 each. Three-hundred fifty-seven climbers were registered for this season.
