North Col
Encyclopedia
The North Col refers to a sharp-edged pass or col
carved by glaciers connecting Mount Everest
and Changtse
in Tibet
. It forms the head of the East Rongbuk Glacier.
When climbers attempt to climb Everest via the North ridge (Tibet), the first camp on the mountain itself (traditional Camp IV, modern Camp I) is established on the North Col. From this point at approximately 6,100 metres above sea level
, climbers ascend the North Col to reach a series of progressively higher camps along the North Face of Everest. Climbers make their final push to the summit from Camp VI at 8,230 metres altitude.
The North Col was first climbed by George Mallory
, Edward Oliver Wheeler
and Guy Bullock on September 23, 1921. This was the first time a Westerner had set foot on Mount Everest itself. The North Col was discovered by Mallory while searching for possible routes to the summit of Mount Everest during the first British
reconnaissance of the Everest region in 1921. All subsequent expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s attempted to reach the summit of Everest by using the North Col.
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...
carved by glaciers connecting 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 Changtse
Changtse
Changtse is a mountain situated between the Main Rongbuk and East Rongbuk Glaciers in Tibet immediately north of Mount Everest. It is connected to Mount Everest via the North Col....
in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. It forms the head of the East Rongbuk Glacier.
When climbers attempt to climb Everest via the North ridge (Tibet), the first camp on the mountain itself (traditional Camp IV, modern Camp I) is established on the North Col. From this point at approximately 6,100 metres above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, climbers ascend the North Col to reach a series of progressively higher camps along the North Face of Everest. Climbers make their final push to the summit from Camp VI at 8,230 metres altitude.
The North Col was first climbed by George Mallory
George Mallory
George Herbert Leigh Mallory was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s....
, Edward Oliver Wheeler
Edward Oliver Wheeler
Sir Edward Oliver Wheeler participated in the first topographical survey of Mount Everest in 1921. As Brigadier in the British Army was appointed Surveyor General of India in 1941....
and Guy Bullock on September 23, 1921. This was the first time a Westerner had set foot on Mount Everest itself. The North Col was discovered by Mallory while searching for possible routes to the summit of Mount Everest during the first British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
reconnaissance of the Everest region in 1921. All subsequent expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s attempted to reach the summit of Everest by using the North Col.
See also
- South ColSouth ColThe 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 is situated on the South Col...
- Sagarmatha National ParkSagarmatha National ParkSagarmāthā National Park is a protected area in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal containing the southern half of Mount Everest. The park was created on July 19, 1976 and was inscribed as a Natural World Heritage Site in 1979...
- Geology of the HimalayaGeology of the HimalayaThe geology of the Himalaya is a record of the most dramatic and visible creations of modern plate tectonic forces. The Himalayas, which stretch over 2400 km between the Namche Barwa syntaxis in Tibet and the Nanga Parbat syntaxis in Pakistan, are the result of an ongoing orogeny — the result...
- Geography of ChinaGeography of ChinaChina stretches some across the East Asian landmass bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam in a changing configuration of broad plains, expansive deserts, and lofty mountain ranges, including vast areas of inhospitable terrain...