Second Step

E591778

Second Step is a prominent and technically challenging rock and ice cliff on Mount Everest’s Northeast Ridge that poses one of the key obstacles to climbers attempting the summit via the north side.

Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf climbing route feature
rock formation
accessedFrom North Col high camp system NERFINISHED
alternativeName Second Step of the Northeast Ridge NERFINISHED
approachDirection from the north side of Mount Everest
approxDistanceFromSummit about 250 metres in elevation below the summit of Everest
associatedWith Mallory and Irvine 1924 Everest expedition NERFINISHED
debate over whether George Mallory could have climbed it without modern equipment
climbingGrade approximately 5.7 (YDS) in free climbing conditions
climbingSeason primarily attempted in pre-monsoon (spring) season
composition ice
rock
countryClaim People’s Republic of China NERFINISHED
difficultyRelativeToRoute considered the crux of the Northeast Ridge route
elevation approximately 28280 feet above sea level
approximately 8610 metres above sea level
firstAscentStyle aid climbing with artificial assistance
geologicalContext part of the high Himalayan orogeny structures
hasFeature fixed ladder system used by many expeditions
mixed rock and ice terrain
near-vertical rock wall
height approximately 130 feet
approximately 40 metres
importanceForClimbers key bottleneck on summit day from the north
isWithin summit day route on Everest north side
knownFor being one of the crux obstacles on the north side route of Mount Everest
exposure and objective danger
technical difficulty at extreme altitude
liesWithin Everest death zone
locatedIn China
Tibet Autonomous Region NERFINISHED
locatedOn Northeast Ridge of Mount Everest NERFINISHED
notableAscent first climbed with a ladder by a Chinese team in 1975
free climbed by Conrad Anker in 2007
free climbed by Spanish climber Òscar Cadiach in 1985
onMountain Mount Everest NERFINISHED
partOf North Col–Northeast Ridge route on Mount Everest NERFINISHED
region Himalayas NERFINISHED
relativePosition above the First Step on Everest’s Northeast Ridge
below the Third Step on Everest’s Northeast Ridge
requires advanced rock climbing skills at high altitude
use of fixed ropes for most climbers
riskFactor extreme altitude hypoxia
potential for long, fatal falls
severe exposure to wind and cold
usedBy commercial guided expeditions on Everest north side

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Northeast Ridge route hasFeature Second Step