The north face of Mount Everest is a legendary arena for elite climbers, marked by its technical routes, extreme environment, and rich history. The north face of Mount Everest is bounded by the North Ridge (meeting the Northeast Ridge) and the West Ridge. Key features include the Hornbein Couloir, Norton Couloir, and the North Col.

The North Face is the northern side of Mount Everest. George Mallory’s body was found on the North Face by the 1999 Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition.

Early Expeditions and Discoveries

It is said that the first successful climb from the north side occurred in 1924 by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine during a British expedition. The summit push from Camp 3 treads on mountaineering history. Climbers follow the footsteps of Mallory and Irvine during their ill-fated 1924 attempt.

After China occupied Tibet in 1950, permission was denied to any expeditions from noncommunist countries wishing to climb Everest. In 1960 the Chinese army built a road to the Rongbuk Base Camp, then claimed to have made the first ascent of Everest from the north, following the North Col–North Ridge–Northeast Ridge route earlier explored by prewar British expeditions. On that climb the group bolted an aluminium ladder to the Second Step, which has remained there and greatly aided all subsequent ascents on what has become the standard route from the north.

Routes and Technical Challenges

Climbers who take the north route follow the Rongbuk Glacier to the North Col, and continue to climb the Northeast Ridge, navigating exposed areas such as the Three Steps, Hornbein Couloir, and the Norton Couloir. These areas require solid technical climbing ability and experience at high altitude. The weather on the north side is significantly colder and windier than on the south side.

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 8,000 m is called the “Death Zone” because of the low oxygen level, which is only one-third of sea level.

The Hornbein Couloir and Other Notable Features

The Hornbein Couloir is a narrow and steep couloir high to the west on the north face of Mount Everest in Tibet, that extends from about 8,000 to elevation, 350 m below the summit. For the first 400 m vertical, the couloir inclines at about 47°, and the last 100 m is narrower and steeper with about a 60° average incline.

The upper face is split by the Great Couloir on the left and the Hornbein Couloir (first attained from the West Ridge in 1963) on the right. The 1980 team climbed a lower couloir (the Japanese Couloir) that led directly to the base of the Hornbein Couloir, which was then followed to the top.

Historic Ascents and Tragedies

In 1978, Doug Scott and Chris Bonington made the first winter climb. Though it was from the South Col, it is still worth remembering in history. In 1979, the Yugoslav Mount Everest expedition achieved the first successful summit of Mount Everest using the entirety of the West Ridge route (the West Ridge Direct) in the North Face of Everest.

Climbing in a style formulated during the Soviet era, a Russian expedition, strong in number and talent, completed a direct route on the north face of Mt. Everest (8850 m) in late May. The expedition was led by Victor Kozlov.

Tomas Kenneth Olsson attempted a first descent of the North Face of Mount Everest. Olsson and Granheim reached Everest’s peak on 16 May 2006. The pair then skied into the North Face by the Norton Couloir. Unfortunately, Olsson fell an estimated 2,500 meters to his death.