With the Khumbu Icefall still impassable, many teams have been stalled at Base Camp waiting to start their first rotation. For climbers on our teams, they’ve already completed two acclimatization rotations.

This is exactly what it looks like when you don’t sit still, and you tap into the Seven Secret Sauces that set our program apart on Everest.

All of our Everest climbers (except for 20 and 30-day Speed Ascenders, by design) completed a summit climb on Lobuche East as their first rotation on the way to Everest Base Camp. Climbers normally would then begin rotations through the Khumbu Icefall and up to Camp 1, but with this area still closed, we didn’t wait around. We pivoted. Our teams have spent the last few nights on Mera Peak camping on the upper mountain, serving as their second acclimatization rotation.

So while others are waiting, we’ve been getting in position for the summit once the route opens and putting our climbers in a strong position. As of today, our teams are well acclimatized, feeling strong, and ready to go when the mountain allows safe passage.

Moves like this have always been the balance for us. Our depth of resources, team structure, and overall season strategy help our climbers reach their objectives when hiccups like this arise. This might look like a helicopter ride to Kathmandu for a tooth extraction, or it might look like a 2nd acclimatization round on a nearby peak. We are always intentional and flexible when the need to pivot arises. And, as always, we use the full breadth of our season intelligently: moving when and where it makes sense and holding the line when and where it doesn’t.

Despite the delay, our Everest team is on schedule and in the best possible position to succeed.

Images from Mera Peak courtesy Julie M. and Little Tendi Sherpa (Himalayan Fall 2025)