Difficult conditions on the Lhotse Face

High winds and blowing ice crystals swirl around the climbers as they attempt to climb the Lhotse Face of Mount Everest. Chip can be seen rappelling down Lhotse Face as he and his fellow climbers leave Camp III in the storm. He is grasping his line with both hands. (Learn more)

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The Lhotse Face is a steep ice slope on the way to Camp III. The slope is around 3,700 feet high and has a pitch of 30 to 40 degrees, with the ice sometimes jutting out to an 80-degree pitch. The climbers must use ropes that have been put in place by sherpas to pull themselves up the wall of ice. Strong winds and blowing snow often beat back climbers, forcing them to turn around and try the ascent another day.

It had snowed very hard the day and night before this attempt to climb the Lhoste Face. As the climbers worked their way up the face, fierce winds blew snow in the climbers’ faces, covering their safety ropes and concealing crevasses. Their hands were stinging with cold, which made it difficult to clip up their Jumar ascenders. All of the climbers, sherpas and westerners alike, turned back for the safety of Camp II.

Learn more about Lhotse Face, Mount Everest, Nepal, mountain climbing, and snow.

Definitions

sherpa n.
When capitalized, refers to an ethnic group living in the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal. Lowercase "sherpa" refers to local people who work as guides to mountain climbers in the Himalayas.
crevasse n.
A huge, deep crack in the ice of a glacier.
Jumar ascender n.
The most common type of ascender, a mechanical safety device used to ascend on a rope when climbing mountains. The device locks onto the climber's ropes and attaches to his or her harness. As the climber moves up the rope, the device slides up, gripping the rope to prevent the climber from sliding backward.

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