Mt. Everest North Route

View from Tingri

View from Nnorth Base Camp

from Lamna-La Pass

Mt. Everest looms up at the end of the valley 11 miles (as the crow flyes) from base camp. Local Tibetans know the mountain as Chomolungma, "Mother Goddess of the Earth". Views of its North Face are even more stunning than from the Nepal side.

Place	Distance from BC	Elevation
Place	Distance from BC	m.	ft.
Base Camp	0	5200	17,060
Camp I		5425	17,800
Camp II		6035	19,800
Advanced BC/ Camp III	14 mi.	6400	21,000
top of N. Col/ Camp IV		7000	22,933
Camp 2			24,600
Camp V			25,300
Camp 3			25,600
Camp 4			26,200
Camp VI			26,800
Summit		8848	29,028

Note: The roman numeral camp numbers are the old system.

The route is initially a straightforward trail up moraine to the East Rongbuk Glacier to Advanced Base Camp, which leads to the fixed ropes.
From Advanced Base Camp it is a five to six hour climb via fixed ropes up the 2,000' North Col.
The North Col is a fairly large area where expeditions Camp and from where there are fantastic views of the whole of the North face of Everest, the West Rongbuk Glacier, Lho La, Pumori and Cho Oyu.

The descent from ABC takes around three hours.

The traditional camp numbers are listed. Some recent expiditions make Camp 1 at the North Col.

Maps: Mt. Everest Region Map | Relief map | Mallory's presumed route from Camp VI (Step 2 and 3)

See: Everest at NOVA (PBS): QTVR (360°) view from summit.

See the Mt. Everest page for more.

Return to Tibet

last updated 14 Apr 2012