Everest Hillary Step: A Final Push to the Top

Mountaineers often say mountains keep the worst for the last. It was the Hillary step for the climbers of Everest. A vertical cliff almost 12 meters high and just 60m below the top of Everest, there lies the Everest Hillary Step, the mystery of Everest. The vertical Hilary cliff looks smaller but was bigger than Everest itself for the ascenders.

Just imagine being stuck in the traffic zone, at the death zone where there is thin air, waiting for hours, fingers and toes all frozen and numb, battling with the cliff. This is what happens at the Everest Hillary Step. People get stuck in the huge crowd, crying, missing families, and cursing the mountains. But for mountains, this does not melt their heart, nor does it give passage to them. After the 2015 earthquake, people were going crazy arguing before and after Hillary stepped down. Did it survive the earthquake? What changes are seen in the path of the Hillary step.

What is the Everest Hillary Step?

The Hillary Step lies on the south ridge of Everest, between the real summit and the south summit, at around an altitude of 8,790 m. technically, it was a level four terrain crag.

The 1953 expedition got stuck at a point in Everest. The technical steps blocked them and got stuck with nowhere to go. It was the moment of truth, just below a 12 m high crag face. Hillary pushed himself along with Tenzing Norgay through this narrow vertical rock, hidden in snow, finally reaching the top of Everest and breaking the record of the first humans to reach the top of Mount Everest. After May 29, 1953, this narrow step is named after him, the Everest Hillary Step.

Over time, this news spread throughout the world. This spot became the name of the ride, courage, smart decision, and the ultimate solution to climb Everest. To date, the Hillary step is a Heritage in Everest. This was the place where thrill, fear, and adventure all combined before making the final push to Everest, the moment when climbing became possible, and both of the ascenders won the race against mountains and created history.

Films are made, photos are taken, stories are shared, and guides share the stories with the new climbers preparing to climb Mount Everest. After that, that high cliff is named Hillary step on Everest. Among many myths and legends, the lore of Everest Hillary Step is still sung at the base camps of Everest.

Everest Hillary Step before 2015

The narrow Hillary step can take only one person at a time to the top. Sherpa Guides and sirdars fix the rope before the expedition starts and make sure everything is perfect and in place. During the peak season of peak climbing, climbers had to wait for hours to clear the traffic jam in the Everest Hillary Step. Result? Fear, risk of life with no or limited amount of oxygen, frostbite, and brain fog due to HACE. It used to take a lot of time to clear the jam and pass the step.

Climbers were trained about the Everest Hillary Step, sherpas set anchors at the top and bottom of the cliff, time was fixed for the climbing group and did everything they could do to minimize the risk in the bottleneck and save more lives.

The Hillary step photo explains all. This is the proof of the dark side of the mountains. The 1996 Everest Expedition team also got stuck in the bottleneck of the Hillary step leading to a lot of loss of lives. The 1996 Everest disaster is one of the worst accidents to occur on Everest.

2015 Gorkha Earthquake and Change in the Everest Hillary Step

On April 25, 2015, a massive earthquake hit the Barpak of Gorkha, shaking the base of high mountains. The earthquake killed more than 10000 people in Nepal, killed 12 in Everest and more than 400, in the Langtang valley. Avalanches, tectonic shifts, and landslides were common throughout the region. A lot of crevasses are added in the mountains. Mountaineers reported that before and after Everest Hillary Step was gone.

Climbers could easily see the changes in the cliff and claim that the steps are gone. Once a thrilling vertical cliff, it is now a snowy slope. The tales of Hillary step now have twists on them. The imagery and photographs taken before and after 2015 easily show the difference. The most horrific and thrilling rock has now become a smooth pile of snow.

Hillary Step In the Eyes of Experts

Is this something to worry about, or not? It’s personal. But experts and previous climbers strongly claim that the steps are no longer left due to the earthquake. British mountaineer Tim Mosedale, after ascending Everest for the sixth time on 16 May 2017, reported to the BBC that the Everest Hillary Step has vanished.

Official government statement argues that the steps are not affected but yes, they are covered by the snow due to the avalanche during the earthquake. Does it affect Everest? Obviously not. For Everest it’s just a phenomenon that keeps on occurring. The Himalayan range has been facing such physical changes for a long time, since 400 million years ago, when the peak of Everest was under the Tethys Ocean.

Technical Consequences: What’s Next?

Have the changes in the slope of the Everest Hillary Steps made it easier to climb Everest? Not really. It has simply changed the strategies to reach the top of Everest with a new type of risk. The hard rock step was solid with a predefined technique to climb but adding to the snow has made it a more slippery and unpredictable climb and increased the chance of avalanche. Sounds easier than the ladder Hillary steps on, but still the hazards exist.

Crowds and Queues

Though the slope has decreased, the problem of the Everest Hillary Step traffic jam is still there. Some experienced climbers said that it has become more difficult to ascend. The crowd, technical requirements, and limited oxygen supply still increase the risk. The narrow path can still make pass for two people. The crowd is dangerous, and people die waiting in the hope of going down.

Another aspect is that during the crowd at the Hillary step, presence of more people, more ropes, and more gear, and if one slips, it can create a chain reaction causing multiple victims.

Final Thoughts

Everest Hillary Step has lived in our memories and history. The rock might have moved or hidden beneath snow but the path it showed to the climbers cannot be forgotten. The final step to Everest is the Hillary step.

Climbers must respect the Sherpa and follow the rules of nature to help manage the lines and traffic jam at the congestion. The true love of Everest does not lie in reaching the top of Everest but in coming back from the Hillary step and reaching home safely to meet your family.