File photograph of travellers enjoying a view of Mount Everest at Syangboche in Nepal
Travellers enjoy a view of Mount Everest at Syangboche in Nepal, in this December 3, 2009 file photograph. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar/Files

Mount Everest, being the highest peak in the world, has always been the greatest challenge for any mountaineer. Over 4,000 people have scaled it so far and thousands more wish to. However, further expeditions at the Everest seem unsure at the moment.

CNN quoted Ang Tshering Sherpa from Asian Trekking, saying that a decision on the situation might take a week. He said that there was a "lot of sadness at the moment". Mr Sherpa was referring to the Friday, April 18, incident when an avalanche killed 13 people during their expedition on the Everest. Three more are suspected to be dead as well. This may well be termed as an unprecedented incident as around 250 climbers only out of thousands died so far on the Everest. Organisers of the Nepali expedition had a meeting on Sunday, April 20, and left it to the individual discretion of travellers whether they wanted to go on the Everest or abandon it. They also decided that climbers would face no "pressure" to make a decision.

Time earlier reported that Discovery Channel cancelled their Everest Live Jump after the avalanche incident. The channel planned to air a live jump from the peak of the Everest. The network stated on its Web site that the decision was made "out of respect for the families of the fallen" and "in light of the overwhelming tragedy." It also said that "thoughts and prayers" would go out to the entire Sherpa community.

Foreign climbers generally spend up to $90,000 for each of their attempt to scale the highest peak in the world, which is situated in Nepal. Sherpa organisers emphasised at the Sunday meeting that they would like to be paid in full even if an expedition was abandoned at the last moment. However, the Expedition Organizers Association president, Dambar Parajuli, said that it would be up to the climbers to decide if they would like to pay the Sherpas even if an expedition was abandoned. Mr Parajuli left it on their "humanity" to make a decision.

ABC reported that Sherpas decided to abandon the climbing season in 2014 to honour their colleagues who had passed away in the avalanche incident.