Since 1997, SPCC has been contracted by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) to establish and maintain the climbing route through the Khumbu Icefall. This challenging section, situated between Everest Base Camp and Camp II, passes over deep and perilous crevasses and is widely considered the most dangerous part of climbing Mt. Everest.

Every climbing season, SPCC recruits a team of eight highly skilled Icefall Doctors to set up and maintain the Khumbu Icefall Route used by mountaineers ascending Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, and Mt. Nuptse. The icefall doctors typically open the route in early April and close it at the end of May during the spring climbing season. Due to the constant instability of the icefall, the icefall doctors closely monitor and maintain the route throughout the climbing period.