May 5: Icefall doctors were unable to fix the ropes to the peak of Mt Everest due to unfavourable weather on Thursday. As a result, climbers of several expedition teams have not been able start their ascent of the world’s highest peak this season.

The weather in the Everest region has been unfavourable for almost a week now.

The Sherpas skilled on rope fixing known as icefall doctors are having hard times to reach atop Mt Everest, according to Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition Company which has been assigned the task to fix the ropes from Camp 2.  The company said that the icefall doctors have fixed ropes only upto the South Col (Camp 4) of Mt Everest so far.    

Expedition begins only after the icefall doctors fix the rope upto the peak.    

Imagine Nepal's Executive Director Dawa Gyalgen Sherpa told the state-owned RSS that the rope-fixing job was cancelled on Thursday.    

More than 400 climbers including Nepalis and foreigners are waiting for a clear weather to scale the world's highest mountain.

According to the Department of Tourism, a total of 466 climbers from 43 groups have obtained permits to climb Everest. Among them 98 are female and remaining 368 are male, said the department.   

According to government officials, the permits issued this year is the highest in the last seven decades since humans first stepped on the peak of Everest on May 29, 1953.    

The Department of Tourism has opened a liaison office to monitor and facilitate the Everst expedition. The liaison office under the convenership of Khimlal Gautam includes the officials from the Tourism Ministry, security personnel from the Nepalese Army, Nepal Police, Himalaya Rescue Association and local representatives.