Hundreds of Everest hopefuls are waiting at base camp as glacier blocks route to summit

Anxiety is growing at Everest Base Camp, more than 5,300 meters above sea level.

Hundreds of climbers including sherpas have gathered, eager to summit the world’s most famous mountain as the annual spring climbing season kicks off – but there’s one problem.

A massive serac, or a block of glacial ice, is hindering the route and keeping alpinists in limbo as they wait for it to gradually collapse and clear the way.

Specialized high-altitude workers known as “icefall doctors” have been on site for weeks already, working to map the serac and its position in the notorious Khumbu Icefall, a steep portion of a glacier that makes up one of the most treacherous sections of the Everest route.

At the start of the season, the “doctors” typically “fix” the route by setting up ropes, ladders and other equipment for climbers to use. But this year, they haven’t yet been able to do this because of the unstable serac.