Setting ropes and mapping crevasses, brave summiteer keeps fellow valiants safe

Each year before the climbing season, a specialized team organizes Qomolangma's ascent. They brave howling winds to anchor lifelines across jagged cliffs, forging a secure passage for climbers from the four corners of the world. They are the climbing route-fixers up and down Qomolangma — also known as Mount Everest in the West.

Dorji Tsering, deputy leader of the route-fixing team on the north face of Qomolangma, while pointing to the mist-shrouded peak above, said: "Below an altitude of 7,028 meters, the terrain undergoes drastic changes every year after the melting of snow and ice. Therefore, the route needs rerouting each year."

The ropes used in fixing are mostly static ropes with a load capacity of over four metric tons. Although durable, they are replaced annually for safety, he added.

"Setting ropes and ladders on Qomolangma is both critical and dangerous," said Dorji Tsering. "Using bottom-up systems, our team ascends ice walls and rock faces, replacing ropes while mapping crevasses and avalanche terrain — all to pave a safe route for guides and climbers through the mountain's ever-shifting perils."

All the team members have undergone rigorous training at a mountaineering school, where they learned to predict potential avalanches, hidden ice crevasses, rockfalls, icefalls and other skills.

"Experience is a more precise detector than instruments sometimes — hidden crevasses often masquerade as flat snow surfaces, with only subtle indents hinting at the deadly traps beneath."

The team members are selected from guides who excel in physical fitness and technical skills, capable of undertaking the crucial task of fixing routes, Dorji Tsering said.