Science and Exploration

Scott Parazynski Everest Update: 15 May 2008 – Photos of the Khumbu Icefall

By Keith Cowing
May 24, 2013
Filed under

The following photos show Scott’s climbing across the Khumbu Icefall, a glacial feature that begins just above Everest Base Camp. This vast field of ice is constantly moving and is considered to be one of the most dangerous parts of climbing the mountain.

Image below: Scott Parazynski using a fixed laddder to cross a constantly shifting crevasse on the Khumbu Icefall. These ladders are put in place by expert Sherpa “Ice Doctors” and are constantly readjusted as the ice underneath shifts.

The following photos show Scott’s climbing across the Khumbu Icefall, a glacial feature that begins just above Everest Base Camp. This vast field of ice is constantly moving and is considered to be one of the most dangerous parts of climbing the mountain.

Image below: Scott Parazynski using a fixed laddder to cross a constantly shifting crevasse on the Khumbu Icefall. These ladders are put in place by expert Sherpa “Ice Doctors” and are constantly readjusted as the ice underneath shifts.

Image below: Scott Parazynski climbing up the Khumbu Icefall, part of the South Col route up the Nepali side of Mt. Everest.

Image below: Looking up at the Khumbu Icefall from Everest Base Camp. There are constant avalanches and loud ice movements during the day – some of which can be rather noisy and leave a light coating of snow across Base Camp.

Image below: Scott Parazynski climbing up the Khumbu Icefall.

Image below: Scott Parazynski climbing up the Khumbu Icefall.

Image below: Scott Parazynski using a fixed laddder to climb over large ice chunks or “seracs” that comprise the Khumbu Icefall.

Image bleow: Oxygen cyclinders prepositioned for carrying up the mountain for use by summit teams.

Image below: Scott Parazynski using a fixed ladder to cross a constantly shifting crevasse on the Khumbu Icefall.

SpaceRef co-founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.