KATHMANDU: The Expedition Operators Association Nepal (EOAN) said it ferried ropes from the base camp to Camp II today, as a team of mountain guides has already reached the crampon point to fix the summit route to the top of Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse this spring season.

“Necessary ropes were dropped at Camp II using helicopter flights from the base camp,” EOAN General Secretary Rishi Ram Bhandari said. A joint team of mountain guides from EOAN has already reached the high camp to continue route fixing to the summits of Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse, he added.

“Rope fixing will now make significant progress as the ropes have been ferried to Camp II,” Bhandari said, adding that EOAN, which obtained a helicopter flight permit for rope ferrying from government authorities on April 30, had waited a couple of days for favorable weather conditions to begin operations.

Lakpa Sherpa, Expedition Leader & Managing Director of 8K Expeditions, said from the base camp that climbers are now busy with acclimatization rotations to prepare for the summit push. “Most of our members have completed acclimatization at the high camps,” Sherpa said, adding that the joint rope-fixing team would expedite work towards the summit.

Expedition operators said they expect the summit push to begin by the end of the second week of May.

 “Depending on weather conditions, climbing activities will proceed on schedule as in the past,” Lakpa said, adding that EOAN’s rope-fixing team has already reached the crampon point to open the route to Camp III and above. “We will start supplying loads to the South Col once the team fixes the route to Camp IV,” he said.

Everest climbing has gained momentum this season only after the route to Camp II from the base camp was opened a week ago, slightly later than in previous seasons. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee said that icefall doctors are closely monitoring and maintaining the route through the icefall section. At least 465 foreign climbers from various countries have obtained climbing permits from the Department of Tourism for Mt Everest this season.