Climbing the Khumbu Icefall

Chip uses metal ladders to climb the treacherous icefall. Below him an older ladder, trapped by the constantly moving glacier, can be seen protruding from a hole in the ice. (Learn more)

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The seracs and crevasses created by the movement of the glacier are extremely unstable. As the huge blocks of ice shift, large pieces break off and tumble over, resulting in an area that looks like frozen waterfalls. Climbing the Khumbu Icefall is perhaps the most dangerous part of the ascent of Mount Everest because the shifts can happen at any time without warning.

Learn more about Khumbu Icefalls, Mount Everest, Nepal, and mountain climbing.

Definitions

serac n.
A tall peak of ice on the surface of a glacier, usually formed where crevasses intersect.
crevasse n.
A huge, deep crack in the ice of a glacier.
glacier n.
A large, slow-moving mass of ice in a high mountain valley, formed by the accumulation of compacted snow as it moves down from higher altitudes.

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