[ "A huge, unstable chunk of glacier is blocking the route up Mount Everest from Base Camp in Nepal just as peak climbing season gets under way in the Himalayas.", "Icefall doctors – who fix ropes and ladders on the lower part of the route up the world's highest peak - can find no way around the 100-foot-high (30m) block of ice just under Camp 1.", "They say the only option is to wait for the ice block, called a serac, to melt – which they hope will happen within days.", "The delay means preparations are weeks behind schedule for the spring season when weather for Everest ascents is usually best, and fears are growing that climbers will be queuing to reach the summit again this year.", "Purnima Shrestha, a prominent climber and photographer from Nepal, is currently acclimatizing to summit Everest for the sixth time. We usually climb between Camp I, Camp 2 and Camp 3 back and forth during this acclimatizing process. Delays in the opening of the route have added concerns of possible 'traffic jams' to the peak this year, she told the BBC from Base Camp.", "The icefall doctors work for the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) that is responsible for securing ropes as far as Camp 2 on Everest. They reached Base Camp three weeks ago. By this stage in April they would normally have fixed the route as far as Camp 3, but are still blocked by the chunk of glacier about 600m below Camp 1.", "We haven't found artificial ways to melt it so far, so we don't have any options other than to wait for it melting and crumbling itself, SPCC base camp coordinator Tshering Tenzing Sherpa told the BBC.", "Nepal's Department of Tourism says it's exploring different options, including airlifting teams to Camp 2. Ram Krishna Lamichhane, the department's director general, said, We will wait for the ice to melt at the place where there is an obstruction and work there when everything is safe.", "Ang Sarki Sherpa, who has worked as an icefall doctor for years, expressed hope that the serac would melt soon. He added a possible alternative route to Camp 1 would be challenging. With the climbing season window expected to close soon, the upcoming days are crucial for summit attempts.", "Despite complications from rising fuel costs due to the Iran war, many climbers are still expected on Everest this year. The Department of Tourism has reported 367 climbing permits issued, predominantly to Chinese climbers. However, climbing fees for foreign nationals have increased significantly this year." ]