Mountaineering Routes · Mount Everest

The standard Nepal-side route to Everest, first climbed by the 1953 British expedition, ascends the Khumbu Icefall, Western Cwm, Lhotse Face, and Southeast Ridge. It is a high-altitude expedition route with major objective hazards including crevasses, serac fall, avalanche danger, and extreme altitude exposure.

This is the principal Tibetan route to Everest, climbing the Rongbuk Glacier to the North Col and then following the North Ridge and Northeast Ridge to the summit. It is a very serious high-altitude route with long exposure, severe weather, and technical obstacles on the upper ridge, including the famous Steps.

The West Ridge is a major, very difficult alpine route on Everest and is far less commonly climbed than the South Col or North Ridge routes. It is a serious objective with complex mixed climbing, route-finding challenges, and significant objective hazards on a remote side of the mountain.