The BBC has released a news report today that sherpas who regularly climb Mt. Everest say global warming is rendering traditional climbing methods with crampons and ice picks hazardous.

Mt. Everest, the earth’s highest point at just over 29,000 feet, is said to be experiencing a rise in temperatures faster than anywhere else in South Asia. As such, the sherpas say they are seeing snow and ice melt faster than in recent years, exposing sheer rock that metal objects don’t bite into.

It currently costs a climber at least $70,000 to pay for the climbing permits, guides, equipment, and travel to Everest, but if the mortality rate rises, guides (and likely permits) are bound to increase with those risks. The world’s highest point will still likely be climbable, but will require even more advanced rock climbing skills, the sherpas say.