08/08/2026
“Everest Is Becoming Increasingly Risky”: Mingma G Sherpa Sounds Alarm Over Melting Khumbu Icefall
Mount Everest is changing faster than many climbers may realize. Renowned Nepali mountaineer Mingma G Sherpa has warned that rapid ice melt is transforming the mountain's famous Khumbu Icefall, with flowing water now appearing across sections that were once covered by thick ice.
In a stark account of this year's climbing season, Mingma G Sherpa described the changes he has witnessed in the Khumbu Icefall, one of the most dangerous sections of the traditional Everest route.
According to Sherpa, the difference between his first experience on Everest in 2009 and today's conditions is dramatic.
When he first crossed the Khumbu Icefall, reaching Camp 1 could take six to eight hours. Climbers had to navigate large sections of ice before even reaching the point where they put on their crampons.
Today, he says, the landscape looks completely different.
Some climbers can now reach the crampon point in just 20 to 30 minutes, while some Sherpas have reached Camp 1 in approximately two to two and a half hours.
The Ice Is Disappearing
Sherpa said he was shocked to find that parts of the lower Khumbu Icefall now contain little or no ice or snow, with exposed rocky sections becoming increasingly visible.
The most alarming change, however, is water.
From around mid-May, he said, water begins flowing through the Khumbu Icefall, creating what he described as a “big river.”
A video shared by Sherpa shows water running through a section of the icefall, but he stressed that the phenomenon is not limited to one location.
According to him, similar streams and melting are occurring throughout the Khumbu Icefall.
“Water Melts Ice Faster Than the Sun”
Sherpa warned that flowing water could accelerate the deterioration of the icefall dramatically.
He estimates that if current conditions continue, the Khumbu Icefall could undergo enormous changes within the next five to eight years.
The concern extends beyond the icefall itself.
Sherpa said water was also observed flowing below Camp 3 this year—an observation he described as particularly worrying for the future of climbing on Everest.
He warned that if areas such as the Lhotse Face lose much of their ice cover, exposed rock could become increasingly unstable, potentially increasing the danger from rockfall.
Everest Records Are Becoming Harder to Compare
Sherpa also pointed to the changing conditions when discussing speed records on Everest.
He said modern fast ascents cannot necessarily be compared directly with historic records because the route has changed significantly.
When Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa set his Everest speed record in 2003, climbers faced much more extensive ice terrain, large blocks of ice and numerous ladders, sometimes linked together across difficult sections of the Khumbu Icefall.
Today's melting has changed that landscape considerably.
Sherpa said he was therefore not surprised by Andrew Tyler's recent fast ascent, arguing that the physical conditions of the route today are very different from those faced by climbers two decades ago.
A Growing Risk for Climbers
While melting ice may make some sections of the route faster to cross, Sherpa stressed that this does not mean Everest is becoming safer.
Instead, he believes the changing mountain could create new and potentially more dangerous hazards.
As ice disappears, more rock becomes exposed. Increasing rockfall could make sections of the route more unpredictable, while rapidly changing ice formations and flowing water could create additional dangers for climbers and high-altitude workers.
Sherpa said these changes are among the reasons he has advocated for earlier summit attempts during the Everest climbing season.
He also criticized what he described as a lack of cooperation among some expedition leaders, saying his team had sought weather information and support for climbers across the mountain.
He praised Elite Expeditions for providing substantial support and singled out Lukas Furtenbach for sharing weather reports.
A Warning From the Roof of the World
Everest has always been dangerous. Avalanches, extreme cold, altitude sickness, crevasses, rockfall and violent weather have made the mountain one of the world's most demanding climbing environments.
But Sherpa's warning points to a different kind of threat—a mountain being fundamentally reshaped by a warming climate.
The Khumbu Icefall that climbers once knew is already changing. Thick ice is giving way to exposed rock and flowing water, while routes that once required long hours of technical movement can now be crossed much more quickly.
The implications extend beyond mountaineering.
The Himalayas contain enormous stores of snow and ice that support ecosystems and communities far beyond Everest. What happens to the mountain's glaciers and icefields ultimately matters far beyond the people attempting to climb its summit.
Sherpa's message is therefore more than a warning about climbing conditions.
Everest is not disappearing—but the Everest climbers have known for generations may be.
And if the world's highest mountain is beginning to carry rivers of meltwater through its once-frozen heart, the question is no longer whether climate change is reaching Everest.
It is how much of the mountain's ice will remain when the next generation arrives to climb it.
