North Face of Mount Everest

“North Face of Mount Everest: A Simple Slip Would Mean Death”

Mount Everest (8,849m), what comes to mind is the dozens of mountaineers climbing on South Col face from Nepal. Only a few of us have a mental image of the North Face of Mount Everest. Located on the Tibetan side, its steep path, dangerous level, and requirement of technical climbing skills make it less approachable.

Besides these facts, this colossal wall of snow and ice has its own tales to tell. The stories of lost climbers, forbidding terrain, and the popular incident of famous snowboarder Marco Siffredi at the North Face of Mount Everest are things to be remembered. In fact, despite some of these infamous incidents, adventurers, mountainers, and photographers still visit this place to climb the North side of Mount Everest.

The North Face of Mount Everest is a place where George Mallory, an English mountaineer, disappeared in 1924, where dead bodies lie as grim landmarks, and where French snowboarder Marco Siffredi made history.

In comparison to the South Face of Mount Everest, the North Face of Mount Everest is less traveled and more remote. This side of Everest is known for being very difficult to climb due to extreme cold, wind, Hornbein and Norton Couloirs.

In this blog, the North Face of Mount Everest, we will thoroughly tour around the northern face of Mount Everest. From the base camp, summit, routes, dangers, history, geography, to the latest news and updates of 2025. We are ready to answer all of your burning questions, like “Can you climb the North Face of Everest?” “Is the north side of Everest harder?” with facts and the right information.

The North Face of Mount Everest: Geography & Route

The North Face of Mount Everest route starts from the Tibetan Base Camp (Rongbuk). Located at an elevation of 5,200 m, from the Tibet Base Camp, you see the massive north side covered with a jagged wall of ice, rock, and a broad terrain. The North Face of Mount Everest is adjoined by two famous couloirs: the Norton Couloir on climber’s right and the Hornbein Couloir on the left (west) side. Couloirs are the steep snow gullies.

Hornbein Couloir starts from 8,000 m to 8,500 m in elevation. It is a steep slide made up of snow and ice. Its 47° inclination makes it very slanted, and near the top, it gets even steeper, inclining at 60°. Due to this, it is extremely difficult and dangerous to climb. Similarly, Norton Couloir is a little easier, but it is still very steep. In between these two dangerous couloirs and the Great Couloir, the North Face of Everest is situated. Covered with snow-filled passes, a series of ice, rock buttresses, and seracs, the expedition to the North Face of Mount Everest is not everyone’s cup of tea. But the panoramic view of the rugged valley from the top is all worth it.

The barren, rocky surroundings, the glacial valley, and Mount Everest’s North Face rising beyond are a treat to the eye. The North Base Camp trail goes through those rocks. Once you get closer to the Rongbuk Glacier, you will gradually see the ridges and bumps on the surface of Everest. Around 8,500 to 8,700 meters up, the second, third, and fourth steps of climbing, it gets steeper rocky sections. Beyond this, snow snow-covered summit of the North Face shines. The best view is in the morning when sunlight paints the face of Everest in gold and pink. These views have earned the popular term “the north face of Mount Everest pictures.”

From the Tibetan Base Camp, the climbing route goes through the standard Northeast Ridge. The first stop after a day’s climb to the north Face of Mount Everest is an Intermediate Camp at 6,000 m. Then come Camp I (6,700m) right above the glacier, Camp II (7,300m), and Camp III (7,900m) respectively.

Moving forward, the route follows the path that leads to the north ridge towards the summit. The key section in the upper routes is called the Three Steps, a rocky pinnacle roughly located at 8,560 m, 8,610 m, and 8,710 m elevation. The First Step is a jumble of boulders, the Second Step a near-vertical 40 m rock wall (climbed by using a Chinese ladder in 1960), and the Third Step another steep rock band just below the summit plateau. These north route sections are the classic part of the Northeast ridge, and till now only a countable mountaineers have bypassed.

Is the North Face of Mount Everest Harder?

Yes, the North Face of Mount Everest is harder and more dangerous in comparison to the South Face from Nepal. The North Face is very steep, along with being brutally cold and windy weather too. Above 8,000m is called the “Death Zone” because of the low oxygen level, which is only one-third of sea level.

Temperatures at this elevation go beyond the freezing point, like –30°C, combined with aggressive winds (often 100+ km/h at summit level) whip around the exposed ridges. Many guides and mountaineers have explained their experience as “very strong wind and extreme cold.” On the other side of Mount Everest (South Face), it is slightly warmer and less windy in comparison.

Actually, during the spring season on Everest, wind chill is more extreme and goes below –50°C. Climbers from the North Face of Mount Everest route report frequent trouble from jet-stream winds. They are especially alarming at the top camps and the summit night.

Furthermore, to climb Everest from the North Base Camp route more longer. You have to drive for about a week and several days of trekking from Lhasa. Similarly, there is also no shortcut like a Helicopter flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. On top of that, all necessary gears and equipment must be trucked or portered in from China (often via a 4WD convoy to a 5,100 m base camp).

What Makes the North Face of Mount Everest So Tough?

The factors given below are the factors that make the summit of Everest from the north face unforgiving. As one climber has already suggested, “Everest’s north face… a place where a simple slip would mean death”.

• High Altitude & Death Zone: Above 8,000 m altitude, there is relatively no breathable air, consisting of one-third of sea level. During the summit push, climbers can spend only a few hours in this zone. If you stay beyond the given safe time, the body deteriorates quickly. The major threats are frostbite and altitude sickness.
• Extreme Cold & Wind: Near the summit, wind speeds exceed 100 km/h, and temperatures can dip past -30°C, and wind chill is far lower (like -50°C, especially in Spring). It increases the risks of getting Hypothermia and frostbite.
• Steep Terrain: Beyond the Second step (8,610 m, near-vertical), it requires technical climbing skill. There is a high risk of snow and ice anchors failing. Similarly, if you slip high in the Death Zone, it is fatal.
• Avalanche & Serac: The North Face of Mount Everest has severe seracs and avalanches. It becomes especially risky to climb after a fresh snowfall. Couloirs like Hornbein can drop ice.
• Isolation: Unlike the South Face of Mount Everest, there are few climbers and less rescue infrastructure means help is far away. The nearest road to the Tibetan Base Camp is 120 km.

Who Climbed the North Face of Everest First?

Or simply put, can you climb the North Face of Everest? Yes, you can, but it took a long time to climb before anyone did it. The first people who tried to climb the North Face of Mount Everest, a.k.a North Col (the shelf at 7,000 m), were Mallory and Guy Bullock in 1921 AD. But it was unsuccessful.

Later in 1924, Malloy again tried a North Face of Mount Everest summit attempt with Andrew “Sandy” Irvine. However, this was also successful and only created a mystery around the North side of Everest as they just disappeared into thin air.

History and Legend about the North Face of Mount Everest Summit Attempts:

George Mallory and Sandy Irvine in 1924

George Mallory and Sandy Irvine tried the North Face route. These attempts brought the famous quote on what was their motivation to climb the Everest as Mallory replied with, “because it’s there.” Sadly. Neither returned. Many decades later, in 1999, at the 8,160m, Mallory’s body was found with goggles and part of his camera still intact.

Only 1 hundred years later, after so many searches, Irvine’s boot and his partial foot were found on the glacier below the north face. The team was from National Geographic, led by Jimmy Chin. Other remains are still a mystery.

1960 (First Summit from the North Face of Mount Everest)

Later, three Chinese climbers Wang Fuzhou, Qu Yinhua, Gongbu became the first people to reach the top of Mt.Everest from the north. The history was made nearly 36 years later on May 25, 1960, when they reached the top via the Northeast Ridge. The Chinese climbers said that reaching the top of Everest from the northern slopes is very difficult. At first, widespread skepticism surrounded this news in the West, but as of now, it’s officially accepted that they are the first to summit the top of Everest.

1963 (Hornbein Couloir)

This year, Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld, American mountainers, made history by climbing the Everest through the Western Cwm, up the West Ridge, then crossed over onto the North Face to climb the steep Hornbein Couloir and made it to the top of the mountain. On the return journey, they came done via the usual Southeast Ridge. This is the first time anyone has climbed the Hornbein Couloir. That’s why this gully was given a name Hornbein as an honor. (Interesting Fact: Hornbein also got to see Mallory’s body during that expedition.)

1970s-80s

Afterward, some climbers tried a few ascents from the North Face of Mount Everest. In 1975, Japanese climbers found a new route on the Northeast Ridge side. In 1978, Doug Scott and Chris Bonington made the first winter climb. Though it was from the South Col, but worth remembering in history. In 1979, a team from Yugoslavia successfully climbed the northeast ridge.

Similarly, in 1980, with no oxygen, Reinhold Messner climbed Everest solo from the Northeast Ridge and descended through the Norton Couloir. It was a legendary Everest solo by fair means moment. Today, the route of his crossing from North Ridge to Norton Couloir is even marked on climber’s maps.

Modern Era:

As of today, both sides, the South Face and the North Face of Mount Everest climbing expedition operated regularly. The best season to climb the Everest is Spring (April to May) and Autumn (September to November).

The summit of Everest is very expensive due to high permit fees on both sides. From the Tibetan side, permit fees are $16,000 per person to climb the Everest. Likewise, under the new rules for climbing Everest from the Nepal side permit cost is around $11,000 to $15,000 to climb Everest.

Last Year, in 2024, more than 11,000 Everest summits were made from the South Col (Southeast Ridge) route. On the North Face of Mount Everest, a significant number of climbers did make the summit, but fewer than on the Nepal side.

North Face of Mount Everest Bodies

The North Face of Mount Everest is known for the notorious slopes, as it literally holds so many victims, like Everest Sleeping Beauty. Freezing, sadly, the dead bodies of Everest climbers sit there as landmarks. After the sad incident of Mallor,y at least fifteen bodies lie on the North Face of Mount Everest. They are especially found near the Northeast Ridge route.

Those who have tried the summit have passed the haunting figure of Tsewang Paljor, popularly nicknamed as Green Boots. He was an Indian climber who died in 1996 near the First Step at 8,500 m.

Tsewang’s neon-green rubber boots and red coat became a grim measuring stick: “You’re almost there when you reach Green Boots.” Today, green boots peacefully rest on the First Step of the north ridge. Later, he was joined by David Sharp, a British mountaineer. He died in 2006 and joined “Green Boots” at that rocky spot.

Another famous North Face of Mount Everest was Mallory’s. Her dead body was found below the Second Step, at about 8,160 m. It was discovered by Conrad Anker during his 1999 expedition. Though Mallory’s partner, Irvine’s body is yet to be found, and sadly, his boot with a partial leg was found on the glacier in 2024.

Beyond the fatal marker of Mallory, another grim landmark is the Third Pinnacle, which is located at a height of about 8,610m. This place lies with the body of Peter Boardman, who died in 1982. The name death zone fits this place as the many climbers’ dead bodies on Everest, Northeast Ridge.

As Wikipedia dryly notes, the North Face route includes “a graveyard with more than 15 bodies”.

Though it has lots of sad stories, these dead bodies on Everest have written a name in history. It may sound weird, but for mountaineers and sherpas, they work as landmarks and timemarks during the Everest climb. The most popular one is “Green Boots.” To reach there means you are within a half-hour of the summit push.

As far as today, the rescue team has recovered many dead bodies on Everest and cleaned up the base camps. However, it’s dangerous route still has high fatalities, and the steps remain in situ. Therefore, the phrase “north face of Mount Everest bodies” has become interesting to many, but it holds many emotions, stories, and history.

The North Face of Mount Everest, Marco Siffredi

One of the most popular incidents that got widespread news was the North Face of Mount Everest snowboard. It is the story of a French snowboarder who said darely, “slay Everest.” Marco successfully made his summit to Everest in May 2001 carrying one goal: to ride down. Yes, you heard right.

Marco’s main motive was to snowboard over this steep Hornbein Couloir (the “holy grail” of snowboarding lines). But the terrain of Hornbein was too dry. Instead, he snowboarded on the Norton Couloir of the Everest. This made Marco Siffredi the first person to snowboard down Everest. It took him two hours from the summit to the base.

Marco has yet to make his main dream come true. A year later, on September 8, 2002, together with three Sherpas, Marco reached the 8,850 summit battling the chest-deep snow. His main motive was to snowboard on Hornbein Couloir and descend. It said around 3:00 pm, he set off down and headed toward the couloir. However, the weather was getting cloudy, and Sherpas tried to stop him because of the deteriorating weather.

On the other hand, Siffredi was determined to snowboard the Hornbein Couloir, North Face of Mount Everest. He said, “I came here to snowboard down the Hornbein, and I’m going to try.”

Moments later, he disappeared. He was last spotted by Sherpas at Camp 3 on the North Col sliding away into the haze. But after the weather got stable, they searched the route: no tracks, no trace. The snowboard tracks just vanished in smooth snow. Few Sherpas called it a ghost. They returned to the base camp, and it was confirmed, Marco had not returned.

Till today, Marco Siffredi’s body has not been found. Expert guesses, the weather piled fresh snow on his snowboard path, which led to his death. It is believed he is somewhere down the Hornbein Couloir. To this day, his legendary moment has inspired many.

The north face of Mount Everest snowboard tells the story of this passionate 23-year-old blonde angel from Chamonix. His attempt to conquer the biggest mountain on a board, twice, Norton, 2001, and a second fatal attempt on Hornbein, 2002.

North Face vs South Face: Which is Better?

One of the most common questions we hear is, which side of Everest is better? It kinda creates a dilemma for climbers, which side to choose, Tibet (North Face) or Nepal (South Face). The South Face from the Nepal side is considered much better.

In comparison to the North Face of Mount Everest, the South Col, Nepal route is the most popular. The route here has well-worn paths, helicopter flights are available, well-marked trails, and teahouses along the route. The permit cost to climb Everest is also slightly cheaper, despite the new rules set by the Nepal government, at $15,000.

From the Southeast Ridge route, there is a challenging Khumbu Icefall. It’s a river of unstable seracs. However, as of Camp 2, the climbing is mild with slight winds. Simply put, the south side of Everest is crowded, and the North face of Mount Everest is quiet.

In contrast, the North Face of Mount Everest has few commercial tours, idle teahouses, and a quiet driving route to base camp. The North Face of Mount Everest route involves a tiring and long overland trip to the Tibetan Base Camp. There is only Chinese military support, yaks, and 4WD trucks.

Adding to the challenge, the North Face of Mount Everest is normally colder and windier. One of the guides has said, “Though it doesn’t have the random risk of avalanche, the north side has extreme wind, unlike the calm south side.”

The trip to the North Face of Mount Everest feels like a random spin of the roulette wheel with lots of unaccountable danger. The north side requires more technical steps near the summit and faces its best cold.

Challenges of Climbing Mount Everest from the North Side, Tibet

1.  Crowds & Logistics: The route on the South side is more crowded, which means more support and climbers. In contrast, the North is less crowded but more remote. North Base Camp is 5,150 to 5,200m and can be done by road. South Base Camp is at 5,364 m, and a flight is available to Lukla.
2. Weather: The North side of Everest has strong wind (summit storms howling at 100+ km/h). The south side has lighter winds near the summit. But expect difficulties from the weather on both expeditions to Everest.
3. Hazards: The North side’s hazardous part is steep rock steps (the Three Steps) and serac threat. The Second Step (8,610 m) on the north route is a rock wall and can be walked over by ladders.
4. Access & Cost: The cost of permits to climb Everest from the north side is around $15,800 to 18,000 per climber. Nepali permits (south side) cost around $11,000 to 15,000. For Tibeatan Base Camp is only accessed by road via Lhasa. On the other hand, you can fly by air from Kathmandu to Lukla in Nepal.
5. Process: To climb the Everest from the Tibet side is a rigorous process. There are lots of strict rules and regulations with limited permits available.

In conclusion, the North Face of Mount Everest is shrouded in extreme altitude, extreme weather, and extreme human drama. That’s why climbers call it “the final wall.” Many travellers around the world do the Tibetan Base Camp Trek. Those dreaming of climbing the North Face of Mount Everest have to rethink seeing the frozen, steep slopes. Some do try and some are satisfied by admiring from below or trying the summit from the more popular route, the South side, Nepal. The North Face of Mount Everest

FAQs

What does the North face of Mount Everest look like?

The North Face of Mount Everest looks like steep slopes with the rugged surface covered in snow. This side of Everest is climbed from the Tibet (China) side. Due to its challenging terrain and dramatic appearance, this side of Everest is popular for being the hardest side of Everest. This side of Everest rises sharply from the Rongbuk Glacier. The North Face of Mount Everest has a popular route North Col and the Northeast Ridge. The North Face is remote, more exposed, and windy. From the top, the view is beautiful but harsh.

What is the North face of Mount Everest?

The North Face of Mount Everest is the northern side of Mount Everest. This side of the mountain can be summited from the Tibetan side. This side of Everest is known for the challenging routes and terrain. For the summit, climbers have to pass through the North Col, the Northeast Ridge, and the Three Steps, which is a series of dangerous rocky sections near the summit. In comparison to the South Side in Nepal, it is technically demanding and dangerous.

Is the north side of Everest harder?

Yes, the North side of Everest is harder compared to the South side. Due to factors like steep terrains, extreme cold, Hornbein and Norton Couloirs, the Three Steps near the top, and severe wind. The summit of Everest from the North side is more dangerous. Most of all, help and support are scarce because of the remote location and strict rules.

What is the hardest face of Everest?

The hardest face of Mount Everest is the Kangshung Face. It is the east side of Mount Everest. It is hard because of very steep paths, icy, dangerous giant avalanches, and falling ice. Till now, only a handful have made a summit. This side of Everest is much harder than the north or south sides.

Is Everest the north face or the south face better?

The South Face of Mount Everest from the Nepal side is better in comparison to the North Face of Mount Everest. It is because the north side has more access, rescue support, facilities, and its route is used more. The south face of the Everest, located in Nepal, is also the most popular route to do summit of the highest peak in the world.