The South Face of Nuptse is the best-known and most serious documented line on the mountain. It is a very steep alpine face route with sustained mixed climbing, ice, and exposed rock sections. The route is highly objective-hazardous because of avalanches, serac fall, and rockfall from the face and adjacent walls. Conditions on the face are strongly dependent on snow and ice stability, making the route far more serious than a standard high-altitude ridge ascent. It is a true mountaineering line rather than a trekking route. Published accounts and climbing references describe it as one of the major technical challenges in the Khumbu Himal.
Route Outline
Khumbu Valley approach to Everest Base Camp area
Establish base camp below the South Face
Climb the steep mixed and ice face to high camps
Continue on the upper face and ridges toward the summit
Summit of Nuptse
Descend by the same route
