Mt.
Everest South Col Route
Himalaya - Nepal
29,035 feet 8,850 m
Himalaya - Nepal
29,035 feet 8,850 m
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Mt.
Everest South Col Route Himalaya - Nepal 29,035 feet 8,850 m |
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I climbed Everest three times- 2002, 2003 and 2008. My best was the Balcony at about 27,500' (8400 meters) before health, weather or my own judgment caused me to turn back. When not climbing, I cover the Everest season from my home in Colorado as I did for the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 Everest seasons. This page details the South Col route from Nepal. All the pictures are from my Everest climbs. I have marked the camps and routes we used in 2002, 2003 and 2008. Also see the Northeast Ridge route map. See the Completed Everest 2010 Season Coverage |
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Everest South Colclick to enlarge map click to watch the climbing route map in motion (uses Quicktime) This image is protected by copyright. Please read this for use information. |
Elevations and Times Between Camps
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Typical Climb Schedule
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Base Camp up the Ice Fallclick to enlarge map |
OverviewMt. Everest was first summited by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmond Hillary with a British expedition in 1953. They took the South Col route which is described on this page. At that time the route had only been attempted twice by Swiss teams in the spring and autumn of 1952. They reached 8500m well above the South Col. Of note, Norgay was with the Swiss thus giving him the experience he used on the British expedition. The Swiss returned in 1956 to make the second summit of Everest. Today, hundreds of climbers from around the world use this route to try to stand on top of the world. It is considered slightly more dangerous than the North Ridge Route due primarily to the instability of the Khumbu Icefall. However some considered it slightly easier than the north due to the absence of the ladders and rock climbing on the steep steps of the North Ridge route. Nepal was closed to foreigners until 1950. |
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Khumbu Ice Fall to C1click to enlarge map
But there are these huge seracs that teeter above you
threatening to fall at any moment. And then you hear it - a loud crash.
Instinctively you lower your shoulders and raise your arms over your
head. You just heard an avalanche in the Icefall or maybe one of those
towering seracs falling. More than likely it was off your route since
the Icefall Doctors are careful to avoid the South side of the Icefall
where most of these crashes happen but you just don't know. You sit on your pack and enjoy the view. It should be sunrise but you are on the West side of the Icefall and the sun does not hit this are until 9:00 at the earliest. It is cold. If the wind is blowing you feel very cold. Pull up your hood, add a down parka if you have one and focus on eating and drinking. Times up, get going. More of the same for another two or three hours. Sherpas are now returning from the previous day of load
carrying to the high camps. You have already been passed like you were
standing still by Sherpas making carries to camp 1 and camp 2 earlier
in the morning. They had loads that made you feel like a wimp. You
struggle with your 20lb load and they scoot pass you with their 60lbs.
Your respect for these special people grow not because of their strength
but because of their completeness. |
Western Cwm between C1 and C2click to enlarge map
Narrative Once you top the 'Fall there is a large flat expanse of snow. It looks
easy, only 1.74 miles, but you are tired. Normally climbers take a rest
and take some food and water before they continue. You cannot see the
actually camp site nor tents from here but you leave anticipating a quick
walk. Is always a surprise how meandering the route is since you soon
discover that the area is filled with crevasses. This is the end of the
Western Cwm and the initial section of the Icefall just before the glacier
drops over a steep rock fall to create Khumbu Icefall. Of course all
this is hidden by hundreds of feet of ice so all you see is snow, ice
and deep cracks. The walk has a gradual climb but you soon find yourself breathing hard
and looking for the camp. Anywhere from half to a full hour later you
make it. The sight of yellow, red or green tents on the pure white snow
is amazing. But even more so is the Cwm unfolding in front of you. While
not all of it is visible, you can see Nuptse on your right, Lhotse ahead
and Everest on your left. Most climbers seem not to notice all this since
they are focused on getting into their tents and having a brew and some
food. Normally each tent prepares their own food at this camp so it starts
to feel like a real climb at last.
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Lhotse Face to C3click to enlarge map
Route from camp 2 (lower left triangle) to camp 3 (upper triangle) up the Lhotse Face, across the yellow band and up the Geneva Spur to the South Col. You must be clipped into the fixed line at all times to avoid falling and death. Avalanche danger is also real on the Face. 3-6 hours, 1.64 miles The next stage is the Lhotse Face. Lhotse is the fourth highest peak
in the world at 27,920 feet. The face is a steep wall of hard packed
ice and snow that holds camp 3 at the edge of the Death Zone at 8,000
meters or 26,200 feet. You It is not uncommon for someone to die on the Face. The steep angle and hard ice make it difficult to get a grip with your crampons. You must be clipped into the fixed line at all times - even at camp 3. Narrative All this happens in a moment and you move on. Not every swap is this
complex but everyone requires caution. One mistake and there is no recovery
on the steep Face. Once you start to fall, there is nothing to stop you
for thousands of feet. It is real. It is harsh. It is climbing Everest. |
Yellow Band and Geneva Spur to C4click to enlarge map
Route from camp 3 to the South Col. Across the Yellow Band and to the left up the Geneva Spur. This is the first time most climbers start to use bottled oxygen. The climbing and Yellow Band is not technically hard but climbers are approaching 8000m. 3-6 hours, 0.8 miles Once at camp 3 on the way to the summit, you must cross the yellow band and the Geneva Spur on the way to the South Col. These barriers, while not technically difficult, are a challenge at an altitude of 25,000 feet and 6 weeks of expedition life. The South Col is another world. Sitting between Everest and Lhotse at 26,300 feet, it serves as the base for the summit attempt. You don't spend long here since the weather is always temporary and the altitude destructive. A quick eight hours to eat and rest and then on to the summit. Narrative
After about a couple of hours they approach the Yellow
Band,a strip of limestone that cuts through the Himalayas in this area.
They leave snow and climb on smooth rocks at a 30 to 45 degree angle.
This is only for about 100 - 300 feet depending on the route that year
but it takes concentration. A jam usually occurs in this area if several
teams are going for the summit on the same day. Once clear of the Band,
it flattens out until the bottom of the ridge Climbers are a little weary at this point more from the altitude than anything else so when they see 150' of 60 degree rock, ice and snow, it causes a long pause. But it is actually easier than it looks. From all the traffic, there are decent steps but also the uneven rock allows for good foot placement. In low snow years, this area may be snowfree and climbers remove their crampons to make it easier. Topping the ridge, climbers follow a rocky "path" worn by other climbers and soon step on the South Col proper - an area the size of two football fields with ten or twenty or thirty tents huddled together on the west end. But most climber notice the tents second - after they see the actual summit pyramid of Mount Everest for the first time. |
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Everest Southeast Ridgeclick to enlarge map
Narrative We were woken up by the Sherpas who then took full control.
This was where they shined in interacting with us. While they had been
working hard for the past five weeks, we saw them occasionally at BC
or other camps and spoke with them rarely. However at C4, they knew each
of us and called us by name - as we did them. They checked our crampons
for tightness, that our harnesses were doubled-backed and that our Oxygen
was set properly with the regulators. They helped us on with packs and
then lead the climb to the summit. The frenzy and disorganization was real and alarming considering
we had taken six weeks to get to this point! Our team left in small groups,
not all together. At this point it felt like 'every person for themselves',
except for the Sherpas. Each climber had been assigned to a Sherpa. There
was Ang Dorge in the lead, Sherpas assigned to the middle and one bringing
up the rear. So actually, each climber had several eyes upon them the
entire time. Also each Sherpa and Guide had a radio. I made the decision to turn around at that point. It ended up that I had contracted a lung infection a few days earlier and it was preventing my lungs from working properly thus causing fatigue and dehydration. Upon my return to BC, three days later, the expedition Doctor heard 'crackling' sounds in my lungs and put me on antibiotics immediately. She also gave me two liters of fluids via IV to get me re hydrated. I was in bad shape as it turned out. In 2008, I reached the Balcony proper so to add to this narrative, the climb from the South Col is some of the steepest, sustained climbing on a South Col route climb. In low snow years, the crampon on rock movement creates slips that robs energy. On good snow years, there is usually a well-worn path developed on the route. The fixed line becomes a bit cumbersome and requires careful manipulation of your carabineer and jumar in heavy gloves at each anchor. This also slows climbers. But most summit attempts are on low wind days with clear skies and is awesome. The views of the surrounding mountains are simply amazing. |
Summit Ridgeclick to enlarge
From the South Summit, a knife-edge ridge known as the "Cornice-Traverse" leads to the Hillary Step. This is the most exposed section of a Southeast Ridge climb. On one side it is 8,000 ft (2400 m) down the southwest face and on the other, the Kangshung face, a 10,000 ft (3050 m) drop. Some climbers report various degrees of vertigo and being uneasy with soft edges on the boot tracks. 
There were usually queues at the South Summit and Hillary Step while Sherpas fixed lines or crowds struggle through. Climbers can wait 45 minutes or more at each place. The Hillary Step at 40' vertical was not bad at all and in fact, easier than the Yellow Band in some climber's reports. The primary issues are around climbing rock with crampons and the multitude of old ropes. Climbing ropes are only good for a few weeks when left out in direct sunlight because they will lose strength so pulling on one with your full weight is taking your life into your own hands, quite literally. Sherpas fix new ropes each season but old ropes remain thus creating confusion. The other risk with the Hillary Step is the down climb when climbers are quite tired and empty of the adrenalin that got them to the summit. Once on the summit, the return climb is very dangerous
and has the highest incident rate due to climber's letting their guard
down, fatigue or weather conditions that developed during the day. Most
climbers will take 11 to 18 hours for the round trip climb from the South
Col. |
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For deep insight
into an Everest expedition, download |
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Climb, more climbing and then you reach a flat
section known as the football field. A large area of perfectly flat
hard packed snow. Take a break, drink some water, slow your breathing
and eat something. Congratulations you are about a third of the way
up and it has taken at least two hours.
Atop
the Ice Fall is camp 1 serving as a weigh station to the Western Cwm.
The Cwm is a 'U' shaped valley carved out by the Khumbu glacier. Everest
is on the North (left), Lhotse is directly ahead and Nuptse is on the
right or South. The Cwm is straightforward but has several dangers. First
it is hot. Temperatures can easily reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The
sun is reflected by the snow and ice covered walls of the valley and
lightly filtered at this 22,000 foot altitude. Then there are the crevasses.
Many are crossed on ladders but others remain hidden by thin snow bridges.
It was on one of these bridges that I fell into a deep crevasse in 2002.
Camp 2 sits atop the Cwm and serves as Advanced Base Camp and a launching
pad for the summit.
For
many climbers The Cwm is the first "taste" of Everest. While
you still cannot actually see Everest until you go another quarter mile
up the Western Cwm, you do have a spectacular view of Pumori and other
7000m hills. I have already described climbing the IceFall so here is
a description of the last steps to camp 1. 
It
is about 1.74 miles from camp 1 to camp 2 with an altitude gain of 1,500'.
So it is not far and not that high but ... it is hot, very hot. The sun
reflects off the walls of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse snow covered slopes
making the temperature rise above 100F degrees. Yes, it can get that
hot. Then it can be brutally cold if the cloud moves in, the wind picks
up and it starts snowing. Out comes the Gortex layers and goggles. Smart
teams are roped in groups of three or four so that if someone does fall
in a crevasse, they can be easily rescued. Finally, if this is the first
time in the Cwm, it is an awe-inspiring experience that opens up all
your senses.
climb
the Lhotse face twice during the attempt on the summit. First as an acclimatization
climb and then on the way to the summit.
Climbing
the Lhotse Face is a big challenge after the Khumbu Ice Fall on the way
to the summit. There are many ropes attached to the face with ice screws
and anchors. Each rope is about 200' long so climbers must unclip their
carabineers and jumars at each junction. This is a two step process so
that the climber is always attached to the fixed line by at least one
device. It is very normal for a long line of climbers to be going up
and another long line coming down - usually Sherpas returning from carrying
loads to the higher camps. So, in the middle of the Himalayas, you have
a traffic jam!
closer,
you make your move to the right or left. Standing close to each other,
you make sure your footing is fixed. With a few grunts and a smile, you
unclip one of your carabineers keeping the other one attached to the
lifeline. Reaching around the climber, you clip back into the line around
him, then move the other ‘biner above this new placement. 
Let's
take a look at the climb above C3 and onto the South Col. As I have said
before the terrain starts out fairly steep from C3. Most climbers are
on supplemental oxygen and leave their tents after sunrise. It can be
extremely cold before the sun moves over Lhotse and if the winds are
the least bit strong, it is miserable. But as soon as the sun hits, and
there are no clouds, then it can become horribly hot. Many climbers are
in their full down suits trying to minimize the weight in their packs. 
defining
the South Col. This is actually on the Geneva Spur. 
