The Dangerous Job of Setting the Everest Lines
The Mount Everest summit is accessible to commercial climbers because of miles of fixed ropes. These lines are laid by a small, elite group of Sherpas at the start of every Mount Everest expedition season.
Using ice screws and snow stakes, the teams anchor thousands of meters of rope from Everest Base Camp to the very top. This creates a secure safety line for everyone on the summit push.
The rope fixing team carries heavy spools of rope into the Death Zone, working long hours while other Mount Everest expedition members are resting. They are the strongest climbers on the mountain.
The rope fixers are the first to stand on the Mount Everest summit each year. They face unknown snow conditions and the highest objective danger to ensure the Everest trekking and climbing season is safe.
Every climber who reaches the Mount Everest summit owes their success to the rope fixing team. They are the true architects of the expedition.
