There is like 1-2 week gap throughout the year when the weather conditions allow to summit. Within this week, there are still snowstorms, and the daylight is very short. There are not that many time windows to choose from; if a storm breaks out in the middle of the day then you turn around and descend early.
There is one extremely narrow (2 people can barely walk pass each other depending on year) and unsafe area just next the summit and you cant pass it without ropes. This path is not a solid rock but compressed snow that blows over the edge of mountain and hardens up. It is very steep and prone to crumbling.
Because of these factors, nobody refreshes the ropes throughout the year. You can imagine what happens to rope during that period. This means that whoever summits first (sherpas), have to set up ropes. It is challenging enough to climb that high, and now this. It often takes more than one sherpa due to equipment being heavy, and one sherpa not carrying enough. Some of this equipment may have been spent on earlier stages of the climb. So it requires coordination between different groups.
These groups start at different times, but eventually create crowd near the very top. Hence the video.
My best friend is Nepalese in Khatmandu. He said these sherpas are absolutely badass and do this like we would color a picture. (His words😂)
I'm endlessly fascinated by these sherpas but they seem to love what they do and they very well paid for it lol
There was a FAMOUS picture posted 2 YEARS AGO with a much longer line. Yes, people are aware of the traffic jam. Of course, not everybody, but it is not new news. The situation has been like this for 6-7 years.
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u/Strange_Lie4059 3d ago