Nepal earthquake: Mount Everest to remain shut this season

Kathmandu, May 4: The Nepalese government has decided to shut Mount Everest for this season as routes above the base camp which were hit by violent avalanches, were found impossible to be refixed, media reported on Monday.

Special teams of Sherpas, known as Icefall Doctors assigned by Nepal's Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), said that numerous avalanches triggered by the devastating earthquake on April 25 and its aftershocks had caused massive damage on the Everest route, and this cannot be fixed for this season, the Himalayan Times reported.

The avalanches killed at least 18 mountaineers.

"SPCC announced the closure of treacherous route for this season on the advice of icefall doctors," said SPCC chairman Ang Dorjee Sherpa.

"The serac (block or column of glacial ice) in the West Shoulder has been found unstable and the route up to the higher camps has also been badly crumbled away," he said.

"SPCC workers will, however, stay at the base camp for a couple of weeks to collect waste from the devastated base camp," Ang Dorjee added.

With the SPCC's decision, Everest climbing that was hampered by deadly avalanche last year has now been closed for the second consecutive year.

IANS