A 30-metre block of unstable glacial ice just below Camp 1 (at roughly 6,000 metres altitude) has closed the route to Mount Everest's summit, leaving climbers stranded during the mountain's peak season. Nepalese authorities say there is little option but to wait for the ice to melt, with delays already stretching into weeks. Concern is growing over potential dangerous crowding later in the season, as more than 400 climbing permits have been issued for 2026 — close to the record 479 granted in 2023, a year in which at least 17 climbers died.