South Col, Mountain pass at Mount Everest, Nepal
South Col is a mountain pass at 7,906 meters (25,938 feet) between Mount Everest and Lhotse on the border of China and Nepal. The pass consists of rocky ground without snow cover, exposed to extreme winds and frigid temperatures year-round.
The pass was first reached by a Swiss expedition in 1952, which prepared the route for future attempts. The following year in 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay used this route during their successful ascent to the summit.
The name combines French vocabulary with geographic terminology and has become standard among climbers worldwide. Expedition teams from different nations establish temporary tent camps here, each bringing their own rituals and traditions before the final push.
Climbers spend several days here acclimatizing before starting the final ascent, with the main season falling in April and May. The exposure requires full high-altitude gear including oxygen bottles and protection against powerful gusts.
The zone is classified as the death zone, where oxygen levels drop to one third of those at sea level. Despite the extreme conditions, abandoned tents and equipment from past expeditions sometimes remain standing here.
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