Mount Everest now almost impossible to climb

In the wake of the Nepal earthquake which triggered an avalanche at Mount Everest, Nepalese authorities have said Mount Everest is now 'almost impossible' to climb.

The authorities said the routes were damaged in the avalanche and that it will take time for the routes to be remade. The government has however not announced an official decision, BBC reports.

No fewer than 19 people were killed in the avalanches.

Sherpa porters based at the mountain told BBC reporters that most climbers have now left the Base Camp and abandoned their expeditions.

They further said that that "icefall doctors", who are expert rope and ladder-fixing Sherpas, decided that further climbs were impossible this spring after inspecting avalanche-hit areas of the mountain.

They added that climbing routes have been badly damaged and in places blocked by huge chunks of ice that were shifted by the quake.

Meanwhile, mountaineering firms, many of whose climbers were killed by the avalanches, have now decided to abandon ascent plans after losing a huge amount of equipment, including scores of climbing ladders, in the snow.

Inspite of this though, the Nepalese government is refusing to officially announce that there will be no more climbing on Everest this year, most probably owing to the implications it could have for the country's vital tourism industry of which mountaineering and trekking are major parts.

However, some climbers have accused the government of dragging its feet over closing Everest to escape having to refund permit fees which can reach as much as $70,000 (about N13.9 million) per climber.