KATHMANDU: Nepalese officials said Wednesday they are changing the route that climbers take up Mount Everest after an avalanche killed 16 guides last year, the deadliest accident in the mountain’s history.

The new route will take climbers through the centre of the treacherous Khumbu Icefall just above Everest base camp, avoiding the section to the left of the glacier where last year’s avalanche occurred.

“We will set a route around the centre to minimise risk of avalanche disasters,” said Yangee Sherpa of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, the agency authorised to set the route. “We have already prepared the equipment required to begin the season,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2015

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