South Col
Encyclopedia
The South Col usually refers to the southern col
between Mount Everest
and Lhotse
, the first and fourth highest mountains in the world. When climbers attempt to climb Everest from the southeast ridge in Nepal
, their final camp (usually Camp IV) is situated on the South Col. The South Col is typically ravaged by high winds, leaving it free of significant snow accumulation.
The South Col was first reached by Edouard Wyss-Dunant
's 1952 Swiss Mount Everest Expedition
that failed to reach the summit. The following year, when Mount Everest was first climbed, Wilfrid Noyce
and the Sherpa
Annullu were the first climbers on the expedition to reach the Col. According to John Hunt
, the expedition leader:
Once on the South Col, climbers have entered the death zone — Altitude sickness
is a significant threat at this elevation and can easily prove fatal. It is also difficult to sleep, and most climbers' digestive systems have significantly slowed or completely stopped. This is because it is more efficient at this altitude for the body to use stored energy sources than to digest new food. Most climbers will begin using supplemental oxygen here and have a maximum of only two or three days for making summit bids. Clear weather and low winds are critical factors in deciding whether to make a summit attempt. If weather does not cooperate within these short few days, climbers are forced to descend, many all the way back down to Base Camp
. Climbers rarely get a second chance to return to the South Col in a specific expedition.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
and Lhotse
Lhotse
Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth and is connected to Everest via the South Col. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres above sea level, Lhotse Middle is and Lhotse Shar is...
, the first and fourth highest mountains in the world. When climbers attempt to climb Everest from the southeast ridge in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, their final camp (usually Camp IV) is situated on the South Col. The South Col is typically ravaged by high winds, leaving it free of significant snow accumulation.
The South Col was first reached by Edouard Wyss-Dunant
Edouard Wyss-Dunant
Dr. Edouard Wyss-Dunant is a Swiss physician and alpinist. He had a distinguished career in medicine, both in his own country and abroad. He published a number of treatises in hi s professional capacity and was the author of several mountaineering books...
's 1952 Swiss Mount Everest Expedition
1952 Swiss Mount Everest Expedition
Led by Edouard Wyss-Dunant, the 1952 Swiss Mount Everest Expedition saw Raymond Lambert and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reach a height of about on the southeast ridge, setting a new climbing altitude record, opening up a new route to Mount Everest and the paving way for further successes by other...
that failed to reach the summit. The following year, when Mount Everest was first climbed, Wilfrid Noyce
Wilfrid Noyce
Cuthbert Wilfrid Francis Noyce was an English mountaineer and author...
and the Sherpa
Sherpa people
The Sherpa are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from the Kham region in eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300–400 years.The initial mountainous migration from Tibet was a search for beyul...
Annullu were the first climbers on the expedition to reach the Col. According to John Hunt
John Hunt, Baron Hunt
Brigadier Henry Cecil John Hunt, Baron Hunt KG, PC, CBE, DSO, was a British army officer who is best known as the leader of the successful 1953 British Expedition to Mount Everest.-Early life and career:...
, the expedition leader:
Once on the South Col, climbers have entered the death zone — Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness—also known as acute mountain sickness , altitude illness, hypobaropathy, or soroche—is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude...
is a significant threat at this elevation and can easily prove fatal. It is also difficult to sleep, and most climbers' digestive systems have significantly slowed or completely stopped. This is because it is more efficient at this altitude for the body to use stored energy sources than to digest new food. Most climbers will begin using supplemental oxygen here and have a maximum of only two or three days for making summit bids. Clear weather and low winds are critical factors in deciding whether to make a summit attempt. If weather does not cooperate within these short few days, climbers are forced to descend, many all the way back down to Base Camp
Everest Base Camp
There are two base camps on opposite sides of Mount Everest. South Base Camp is in Nepal at an altitude of , and North Base Camp is in Tibet at ). These camps are rudimentary campsites on Mount Everest that are used by mountain climbers during their ascent and descent...
. Climbers rarely get a second chance to return to the South Col in a specific expedition.