Everest season kicks off amid tight serac limits and unstable Khumbu Icefall, delaying ascents and hiking costs. Aged ice, high stakes.
Around 410-492 climbers and their Nepali guides are at base camps for Everest's good-weather window. A dangerous serac in the Khumbu Icefall has delayed progress, with Icefall doctors opening the route late and issuing warnings as temperatures rise.