Three Steps

The three rock steps ( engl. "Three Steps" ) are three distinctive rock steps on the northeast ridge of Mount Everest. They are located at altitudes of 8564 m, 8610 m and 8710 m. Especially the Second Step is important both historically and in mountaineering terms. Every climber who wants to climb the normal route from the north from the summit must overcome these three stages.

The First Step ( " first stage " ) consists of coarse blocks that can be a serious obstacle for experienced mountaineers only because of the height above the sea.

The Second Step ( " Second Stage ") is the best known of the rock steps. The escarpment with a leg height of 8610 m has a climbing height of about forty meters, of which the last five are almost vertical. Was defused climbing Technically this place in 1975, when a Chinese team mounted a ladder, which has since been used by almost all climbers.

The following Third Step ( " Third Stage " ) is easier to climb again. The climbing height is about 10 meters. Then the summit snowfield is achieved.

Important climbing the Second Step

The British Mount Everest expeditions were before the Second World War, the first to attempt an ascent of Mount Everest. They had to make the ascent of the north. The climbing technical difficulties especially of the Second Step were still unknown. Until today, is controversial whether George Mallory and Andrew Irvine who died in a climbing attempt in 1924 lost their lives, were able to overcome with the means of their time to the Second Step and may have climbed it. 1960 managed a Chinese expedition one (initially controversial ) first ascent of the entire Tibetan northern route was climbed in the course of the Second Step by Wang Fuzhou, Qu Yinhua and konbu. Here, a shoulder stand was used to climb the last five meters.

The step was for the first time in 1985 "free" climbed from Catalans Oscar Cadiach. He assessed the final steep wall with 7.5 to 8.5 (V UIAA classification).

The Austrian Theo Fritsche climbed the step in 2001 Free Solo On Sight and came to a similar conclusion. Conrad Anker climbed the Second Step in 1999 and assessed the level with the difficulty of 5.10. In this ascent to anchor braced at the Chinese leader. In 2007, together with Leo Houlding anchor repeated the climb, but this time he had previously remove the ladder in order to climb the step freely.